Transport Team Respiratory Therapist, Senior

UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is hiring a Full-Time Respiratory Therapist, Senior to support the Transport Team with flight and ground transportation.

The Transport Team Respiratory Therapist, Senior initiates and administers all levels of respiratory care to patients with cardiovascular diseases and dysfunctions and administers care for the prevention of such dysfunctions and diseases. The transport therapist will maintain skills and knowledge sufficient to provide safe, effective and appropriate care to all ages of patients including neonates, infants, toddlers, children, adolescents and adults.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with the transport nurse regarding all resources and decision making to provide a safe environment for patient and crew.
• Maintains knowledge of the safety procedures for all types of vehicles utilized.
• Calculates the medical gas needs for each trip to ensure safe transport.
• Shares role of safety officer with the transport nurse on all helicopter and fixed wing flights.
• Utilizes effective communication skills and conveys and supports the mission of CHP with referring hospital staff, EMS providers, multiple disciplines, and members of the organization.
• Demonstrates critical thinking skills (in coordination with the Team Leader) regarding patient care.
• Under the direct supervision of the team leader or RN, may assist in preparing and/or administering intravenous fluids including volume expanders.
• In collaboration with transport RN, recognizes and manages patients with respiratory illnesses and/or airway compromise.
• Facilitates and initiates a plan of care based on protocols and standards of care.
• Communicates results to transport physician who may be remote from the field.
• In collaboration with RN, participates in deciding if CHP physician presence is needed during transport.
• Functions as an integral team member.
• Assesses patients, follows written protocols, and communicates with the team leader, referring staff and CHP.
• Contributes to the formation of a plan of care.
• In coordination with the team leader, exercises independent judgment when sudden clinical changes occur.
• Effectively deals with parents and referring hospital staff.
• Able to adapt equipment used in multiple environments, operates, troubleshoots and maintains multiple fixed (hospital) and portable (D, E, M, and H cylinders) medical gas systems, including liquid oxygen and cascade oxygen arrangements.
• Assesses and interprets both clinical and laboratory data pertaining to the physiologic status of the patient at the time of initial transfer request.
• Prepares, maintains, and operates mechanical ventilators and specialty gas systems (Nitric oxide and Heliox).
• Effectively troubleshoots and adapts to changes in patient condition, environmental and mechanical changes.
• Determines appropriate aerosolized medications utilizing written protocols and guidelines while ensuring effectively delivers medication.
• Implements evidence based practice initiatives and serves as a role model to CHP respiratory therapists relative to such practice.
• Promotes research by examining patient/family outcomes and seeking opportunities to find better ways to provide care.
• Performs advanced procedures including intravenous/intraosseous access, intubation, bag/mask ventilation, management of the difficult airway including the use of advanced surgical airway, hand jet ventilation, and Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA).
• Draws arterial, venous, and capillary blood gases, interprets their values, and determines and implements appropriate ventilator adjustment(s) considering age, diagnosis, and clinical status and established protocols.
• Initiates and adjust mechanical ventilation, surfactant replacement therapy, and specialty gas therapy based on protocols and accepted standards of care in the transport environment when the CHP physician is remote from the referring facility or transport field.