Registered Respiratory Therapist

Summary
This position is organizationally aligned under the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the VA / DoD Joint Venture (JV) Hospital at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The Respiratory Therapy (RT) Section is responsible for providing basic and advanced respiratory care services to adult and geriatric patients at the VA / DoD Joint Venture Hospital and the Alaska VA Outpatient Clinic.
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Responsibilities
The incumbent will provide respiratory therapy and related care to VA veterans and DoD beneficiaries. The position requires utilization of both VA and Air Force guidelines, processes, and methods. Additionally, the Respiratory Therapist will be responsible for respiratory therapy education and respond to referrals from the three community out based clinics aligned under the Alaska VA Healthcare System to include home oxygen responsibilities as needed.
The RRT practices professionally, must be reliable, able to work independently, be pro-active and self-motivated. The incumbent is responsible for performing job duties in accordance with mission, vision, and values of Alaska VA Health Care System.
Some of the roles, responsibilities, and duties include:

• Work within ventilator protocol guidelines.
• Administer assisted and controlled mechanical ventilation to patients with artificial airways, endotracheal tubes, tracheotomies, and full-face mask assisted ventilation requiring frequent adjustments in ventilator parameters.
• Administer and monitor advanced ventilator techniques; Volume ventilation, Pressure ventilation, Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) mode, positive end expiratory pressure and continuous positive airway pressure.
• Develop plans for weaning patients from ventilators and perform daily spontaneous breathing trials to assess readiness to wean prior to the day shift.
• Perform the most difficult respiratory therapy procedures to maintain ventilation, assist endotracheal intubation, tracheal lavage, and tracheotomy care.
• Manual and mechanical ventilatory life support, medical gas administration, aerosol delivery of bronchodilators and other agents in the resuscitation of respiratory and cardiovascular failure.
• Assesses the respiratory status of critical care patients using data acquired through physical observation/examination, verbal and written communication from patients, family, other healthcare team members, clinical analysis of blood gas data, and chest x-rays to determine the effectiveness of therapy being administered.
• Administer/implement therapeutic measures as ordered by providers and per protocols, recognize complications, and respond to adverse effects.
• Identify and respond to both existing and potential emergency situations and initiate corrective treatment, respiratory medications, and emergency and resuscitative measures based on appropriate utilization of physician orders, unit, and hospital guidelines, BLS, and ACLS protocol.
• Communicate significant information in a timely, knowledgeable, and professional manner to providers, other healthcare personnel, patients, and family members to facilitate safe and effective delivery of patient care.
• Identify patient/family education needs and provision of patient/family instruction on matters involving or affecting patient care.
• Engage in unit/hospital programs and actively participate in efforts regarding safety, quality improvement, risk management, infection control, policy and procedure revisions, staff meetings, in-services, RT annual competencies, Home oxygen program assistance, and other functions as they arise.
• Contribute to the ongoing responsibility of a supportive and positive work climate of mutual respect and collaboration among health care team members, patients, families, and others interacting with our critical care unit.
• Manage and maintain training, cleaning/processing, calibration, setup between patients, documentation, infection control, quality improvement, and accountability.
• Thoroughly document all treatments, assessments, education, changes in therapies, ventilator changes, emergency care, transports or any other significant findings that may pertain to the patient's care.
• Communicate accurate information to providers and discharge planners about the patient's needs at home and while hospitalized.

Work Schedule: Sun - Sat, variable shifts to cover 24/7 operations
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
11

Job family (Series)
0601 General Health Science

Help Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment as an RRT, all applicants must possess the following:
Citizenship. Citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, of this part. See 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a) for more information.
Education. Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor.
Licensure. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT.
Credential. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT.
Exception. RT positions will be designated only to individuals who are in the process of obtaining credentials to become an RRT. These individuals will only be hired on a temporary appointment as provided below.

• (a) VHA may waive the RRT credential requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified and pending completion of prerequisites for RRT credential. Individuals who have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor, acquired the CRT credential, are fully licensed by their state and are working toward completion of their RRT credential may be given a temporary appointment as an RT. The temporary appointment is made under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7401(a)(1)(B) for a period not to exceed one year from date of employment. Candidates must hold an active, current, full and unrestricted RRT credential and be licensed to hold a position at or above the GS-07 level.
• (b) RTs may only be temporarily appointed at the GS-05 level and may not be promoted/converte...