Respiratory Therapist-NeoPeds Transport Team

Selected candidates with 2+ years of experience may be eligible for a $10,000 sign-on incentive if all qualifications are met including a minimum two-year commitment. ($5,000 sign-on for candidates with less than 2 years of experience). Current UI employees are not eligible.

UI Health Care—recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States—is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. Each day more than 12,000 employees, students, and volunteers work together to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. Simply stated, our mission is: Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.®

The UI Health Care Department of Emergency Medicine, Transport Services is seeking a part-time (90%) Respiratory Therapist for the NeoPeds Transport program. The NeoPeds Transport program works in collaboration with AirCare to provide high level, compassionate, emergency, and critical care services to referring hospitals by rotor wing and ground ambulance transfer. The NeoPeds team maintains a highly experienced medical staff, incorporating the latest technology in aviation, medical equipment, pharmacology, and continuing education. Our helicopters and specialty transport ground ambulances rapidly transport critically ill neonates and pediatric patients using AirCare and our MobileCare ground Transport Vehicles. In addition to transport shifts, the NeoPeds Respiratory therapist will provide inpatient staffing coverage as part of the schedule rotation.  This role will be utilized within the EM Transport Services team and within inpatient respiratory therapy team.  This position is responsible for respiratory therapy duties including oxygen and aerosol therapy, administration of specialty gases, application of ventilators, arterial puncture, blood gas analysis, implement patient driven protocols, and other duties as assigned. *Respiratory Therapists must be a graduate of a Commission of Accreditation Respiratory Care (CoARC) approved program.

Positions Responsibilities

Patient Care:

• Assess patients and provides interventions according to AirCare, PALS and NRP protocols in an emergent situation or after consultation with medical control and/or referring physician.

• Consults with medical control

• Exercises independent judgment in situations when sudden clinical changes occur.  Implements necessary interventions and understands the expected outcomes.

• Collaborates with other team members in the planning and provision of optimal patient care during the transport process including appropriate bed placement.

• Understands the age specific patient needs regarding their growth and development process.

• Applies analytical and critical thinking skills in interpreting patient labs, CXR, other radiologic studies, and overall patient assessment.

• Attends deliveries at local hospitals and is responsible for the stabilization and preparation of the neonate for transfer.

• Documents care during transport including all demographics, vital signs assessments, procedures, medications administered, pertinent history and physical exam, provisional diagnosis, plan, and orders for care along with response to any interventions provided.

• Maintains competency in the performance of designated medical procedures required during transport: 

  • Airway and ventilator management

  • Respiratory and cardiac arrest management

  • Cardiac rhythm monitoring, interpretation, and management

  • Endotracheal intubation

  • Needle decompression

  • Intraosseous needle insertion

  • Interpretation of X-ray reports

  • Calculation, preparation, and initiation of drug therapy

  • Umbilical venous catheterization

  • Point of Care blood analysis testing

• Serves as a resource for neonatal and pediatric patient care units by utilizing clinical expertise and knowledge.

• Effectively communicates with parents and families throughout the transport process.

• Respond to air or ground transport requests.

• Completes medical record charting according to department procedures.

Implements and Provides Mechanical Ventilation:

• Provide detailed job responsibilities-sets up and checks out ventilators for stand-by according to department procedure.

• Consults with physicians to implement appropriate initial ventilator settings.

• Performs complete ventilator checks.

• Demonstrates an understanding of all modes of ventilation used at Ui Health Care.

• Demonstrates ability to troubleshoot all ventilators and circuitry used in areas of assignment.

• Provides in-line drug therapy.

• Provides safe in-house transport of ventilated patients.

CPAP & BiPAP Management:

• Implements and provides all forms of CPAP & BiPAP.

• Sets up and processes supplies for CPAP, BiPAP, and NPCPAP and nasal pharyngeal circuit systems according to department policy.

• Demonstrates an understanding of all CPAP/BiPAP therapy and its intended use.

• Demonstrates ability to troubleshoot systems.

Delivers Medical Gas Therapy:

• Sets up, delivers, and assesses therapeutic value of oxygen, nitric oxide, and other medical gasses according to department procedures.

• Troubleshoots medical gas delivery systems according to department policies

Provides Safe Delivery of Medicated Aerosol & General Therapies:

• Provides medicated aerosol and general therapies including Ribavirin therapy to patients according to department procedures.

• Assesses the appropriate delivery method of inhaled medications and recommends the use of metered dose inhalers, as indicated.

Provides Pulmonary Hygiene:

• Provides pulmonary hygiene services to patients.

• Provides comprehensive chest physical therapy.

Provides Blood Gas Sampling & Analysis:

• Demonstrates acceptable technique in drawing venous, capillary, and arterial blood gases.

• Operates the blood gas analyzers according to manufacturer's directions.

• Demonstrates ability to calculate AVDO2 using monitor and calculator

Provides Non-Invasive Monitoring:

• Sets up, operates, and troubleshoots Oximeters and Capnometers.

Safety:

• Conduct equipment checks (including ambulance), quality control documentation, restocking and cleaning of supplies post transport.

• Regularly Attends safety briefings and staff and other applicable meetings.

• Provides a safe environment while maximizing clinical expertise during inter-facility transports.

• Ensures regularly scheduled maintenance of equipment. 

• Complies with universal precautions.

• Complies with infection control procedures.

• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Percent of Time: 90%
Schedule: Rotating 24-hour and 12-hour shifts plus every other weekend and holiday rotation requirement 
Location: Regular salaried position is at the University Campus ED located in Iowa City, Iowa
SEIU Pay Plan: https://hr.uiowa.edu/pay/pay-plans/seiu-pay-plan
Salary:  Salary will vary based on years of experience and percent of effort.
Pay Differentials: Shift differentials for evening, night, and weekend shifts.  
Benefits Highlights: Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans. https://hr.uiowa.edu/benefits

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Our primary and specialty care is provided by experts from all medical specialties, attracting patients from around the world. We offer our care in convenient, comfortable settings, using the most advanced approaches and with the best outcomes as our goal. The university is located along the picturesque Iowa River in Iowa City, a city of some 77,000 people (170,000+ in the metro area) regularly ranked as one of the nation’s best places to live. Iowa City is less than four hours from Chicago and within five hours of Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City, readily accessible via interstate highways and a regional airport 30 minutes away.