Respiratory Care Intern - UPMC McKeesport

UPMC; East McKeesport (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

UPMC McKeesport is hiring a Respiratory Care Intern to support our team. The role offers rotating shifts with weekend and holiday responsibilities and flexible hours to accommodate student schedules.

Interns will work under supervision and gain hands-on experience in diagnostic and therapeutic respiratory care, equipment handling, and patient documentation as part of a CoARC approved program completion path.

Qualifications

• Student in a Respiratory Care program
• Under supervision of licensed staff
• Commitment to patient safety and care quality
• Ability to communicate with healthcare teams

Responsibilities

• Participate in clinical research projects as required
• Maintain accurate records as required by department standards
• Communicate with healthcare personnel regarding patient care
• Perform chest physiotherapy according to department standards
• Assist in transport of patients requiring respiratory support
• Administer therapeutic gases as prescribed
• Demonstrate knowledge to provide age-appropriate care
• Document care interactions in the medical record
• Perform arterial punctures and analysis with asepsis
• Handle IPPB therapy as prescribed
• Conduct simple bedside pulmonary function testing
• Assess patient data for age-specific needs
• Transport and manage respiratory equipment and records
• Clean, disinfect and sterilise respiratory equipment
• Complete hospital competencies
• Provide service-excellence by listening and responding to needs
• Administer BiPAP/CPAP as prescribed
• Prepare and administer humidification and nebulisation therapy
• Evaluate therapy objectives to meet patient needs
• Provide and maintain equipment for therapies
• Participate in CPR to support airway and ventilation
• Perform incentive spirometry
• Perform PEP therapy
• Prepare and administer aerosolised drugs
• Follow hospital policies and procedures
• Attend department meetings and training to upgrade knowledge
• Ensure patient charges are entered daily
• Perform oximetry studies

Job description

UPMC McKeesport is currently hiring a casual Respiratory Care Intern to join our team!

Are you interested in getting your healthcare career started? Are you a Respiratory Therapist student looking to gain more experience and expand your knowledge? Would you love the opportunity to work at a world-renowned medical centre with an up-beat environment to help determine the next steps for your career? UPMC might be the perfect place for you!

UPMC McKeesport is currently hiring a Respiratory Care Intern to help support our team. This role will be scheduled for rotating shifts and have weekend and holiday responsibility. The role will have flexible hours with the ability to work around school schedules.

Purpose

Respiratory Care Interns (students) will develop the ability to gain additional clinical experience and knowledge prior to the completion of their education in a CoARC approved Respiratory Care program and their subsequent credentialing as a licensed RCP. The Intern will be under the direct supervision of the Educational Coordinator, Respiratory Supervisor or their designee. The Intern will be assigned to a RCP at all times. The procedures that an Intern can perform while assigned to a RCP will be outlined below. Responsible for the administration of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities of Respiratory Care in the general medical/surgical units observing all necessary precautions during therapy in order to prevent any adverse effects from occurring. Responsible for the care of equipment, economical use of supplies and utilities and cleanliness in the department and work areas.

Responsibilities

• Participate in clinical research projects as required
• Maintain accurate records as required by department standards
• Communicate with all other healthcare personnel regarding the care of the patient
• Perform chest physiotherapy according to department standards
• Assist in the transport of patients requiring respiratory support
• Administer therapeutic gases such as oxygen as prescribed or according to departmental procedures
• The intern must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the area of the patients served and know the principles of growth and development over their lifespan.
• Perform flutter valve therapy according to department standards
• Document interactions with and care given to the patient in the medical record and/or hospital information system
• Perform arterial punctures (radial and brachial arteries only) and analyze samples maintaining asepsis and quality as per department standards
• Personal cleanliness and courtesy is a must at all times.
• Administer IPPB therapy as prescribed or according to departmental procedures
• Perform simple bedside pulmonary function testing and calculation
• The intern must possess the ability to assess and interpret patient data needed to identify each patient's requirements related to his or her age specific needs.
• Transport and change respiratory equipment on the general patient units throughout the hospital and maintain associated records in an organized and legible manner.
• Clean, disinfect and/or sterilise all respiratory equipment
• Complete all mandatory and hospital competencies
• Exhibit and practice service excellence by actively seeking, listening and responding to the needs of patients, their family, physicians, staff and others
• Administer BiPAP/CPAP as prescribed or according to department policy/procedure
• Utilise Customer Relations principles
• Prepare and administer humidification and nebulisation therapy under controlled temperature and saturation levels
• Perform evaluation of therapy objectives to determine the patient's needs
• Provide equipment for the therapy mentioned above and perform minor repairs, maintenance and calibration as per department standards
• Participate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to include the establishment of an airway, ventilatory support and external cardiac massage
• Perform incentive spirometry according to department standards
• Perform PEP therapy according to department standards
• Prepare and administer aerosolised drugs and drug mixtures as prescribed (i.e. bronchodilator, antibiotics, antibacterials, wetting agents, enzymes, steroids, etc.)
• Must be familiar with and follow the hospital and department policies and procedures
• Attend and participate in department meetings, conferences and inservices as able upgrading your knowledge of respiratory and/or related fields to a level as acceptable as department standard
• Ensure that all patient charges are entered daily
• Perform resting, titration, exercise and nocturnal oximetry studies
• Replace oxygen and other compressed gas cylinders used for the respiratory care of patients and monitor and change the compressed gas cylinder banks when indicated
• Disassemble and prepare respiratory equipment for cleaning, disinfection and/or sterilisation