<p>POSITION SUMMARY:</p> <p>The Clinical Respiratory Therapist (RT) provides safe, high-quality respiratory care services across inpatient and outpatient settings. This position plays a dual role in supporting the outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, outpatient respiratory procedures, and inpatient pulmonary consultations. The RT collaborates closely with the Pulmonary Medical Director, nursing leadership, and interdisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated care, enhanced patient education, and improved outcomes across the pulmonary care continuum.</p> <p>In addition to core respiratory care responsibilities, the RT will provide specialized support in pulmonary function testing, outpatient respiratory procedures, tracheostomy education, and pulmonary rehab intakes, while serving as an educational and consultative resource for staff and patients.</p> <p>EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION:</p> <ul> <li>Graduate of an approved Respiratory Care program. Must provide a copy of diploma or transcript upon hire. </li><li>Credentialed as Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) or Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) by the NBRC and licensed in the State of Connecticut as a Respiratory Care Practitioner. </li><li>CRTs must obtain the RRT credential within 12 months of employment. </li><li>Current Basic Life Support (BLS) required. </li><li>ACLS, PALS, and NRP/NALS are desirable but not required. </li><li>Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) certification is strongly desired. </li></ul> <p>EXPERIENCE:</p> <ul> <li>Minimum of two (2) years of skilled respiratory experience within the last two years required. </li><li>Experience in both inpatient and outpatient pulmonary care is preferred. </li><li>Prior exposure to Pulmonary Rehabilitation, patient education, or consultative services strongly desired. </li></ul> <p>COMPETENCIES:</p> <ul> <li>Strong focus on patient-centered care, customer service, and interdisciplinary collaboration. </li><li>Demonstrates effective verbal and written communication skills for accurate documentation, education, and consultation. </li><li>Ability to independently prioritize workload across inpatient and outpatient settings. </li><li>Knowledge of respiratory procedures, patient education principles, and quality improvement practices. </li></ul> <p>ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:</p> <p>Disclaimer: Job descriptions are not intended, nor should they be construed to be exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. They are intended to be accurate reflections of the principal duties and responsibilities of this position. These responsibilities and competencies listed below may change from time to time.</p> <p>Clinical Responsibilities:</p> <ul> <li>Perform respiratory therapy modalities as ordered by providers, including therapeutic gases, aerosol therapy, chest physiotherapy, suctioning, and mechanical ventilation management. </li><li>Conduct pulmonary function testing (PFTs), six-minute walk tests, Holter scanning, EKGs, and other outpatient respiratory procedures. </li><li>Provide inpatient pulmonary consultations, including assessment, education, and care coordination. </li><li>Support pulmonary rehabilitation through patient intakes, education, and collaboration with rehab staff. </li><li>Serve as a consultative and educational resource for tracheostomy care, pulmonary conditions, and respiratory interventions for RNs, RTs, and providers. </li><li>Support and participate in bronchoscopy procedures, including setup, specimen handling, and documentation. </li><li>Perform blood gas sampling, analysis, and interpretation; communicate critical values per policy. </li><li>Maintain and troubleshoot respiratory equipment (ventilators, CPAP/BiPAP, High Flow systems, oxygen delivery devices). </li></ul> <p>Educational & Program Development:</p> <ul> <li>Lead and support patient and staff education on pulmonary conditions, tracheostomy care, and disease management. </li><li>Collaborate with Pulmonary Medical Director and RN leadership to align inpatient and outpatient respiratory care strategies. </li><li>Facilitate referrals to Pulmonary Rehabilitation by ensuring consistent inpatient consultations and education. </li></ul> <p>Quality & Coordination:</p> <ul> <li>Participate in clinical rounding, documentation audits, and interdisciplinary initiatives to ensure quality and safety. </li><li>Provide feedback and recommendations to improve workflow, access, and care delivery in both inpatient and outpatient settings. </li><li>Contribute to departmental productivity and service growth by aligning staffing resources with volume and demand. </li></ul>