Respiratory Quality/Safety Coordinator

Duke Clinical Research Institute; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, seeks a Respiratory Quality/Safety Coordinator to design and evaluate process improvements that enhance patient outcomes, safety, and operational reliability. The role involves monitoring performance metrics, leading reliability initiatives, and contributing to multidisciplinary investigations across respiratory care services.

Responsibilities include developing clinical guidelines, analyzing data with SPC methods, and presenting findings to leadership to

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Respiratory Care required; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Registered Respiratory Therapist with active NC license.
• Experience with evidence‑based practice and clinical guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Designs, implements, and evaluates quality improvement initiatives to improve patient outcomes and safety.
• Monitors quality indicators, safety events, regulatory findings, and performance metrics.
• Leads continuous improvement activities across Respiratory Care Services.
• Conducts root cause analyses and contributes to multidisciplinary investigations.
• Develops dashboards and reports to monitor process reliability and outcomes.
• Maintains respiratory care clinical guidelines, protocols, and standard work.
• Evaluates literature and best practices to support clinical decision making.
• Ensures compliance with policies, infection prevention standards, and equipment management.

Skills

Quality monitoring

Root cause analysis

Process improvement

Data interpretation

Dashboard reporting

Education

Associate's Degree Respiratory Care

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

What You Can Expect

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Health hospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

How You Will Make An Impact

• The Respiratory Quality/Safety Coordinator designs, implements, and evaluates process improvement and research-based initiatives to improve practice, patient outcomes, safety, efficiency, and operational reliability. Specific job duties are, but are not limited to:
• Monitors departmental quality indicators, patient safety events, regulatory findings, and performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvement and develop initiatives.
• Champions High Reliability and Just Culture principles by facilitating continuous improvement activities across inpatient, outpatient, neonatal, pediatric, and adult Respiratory Care Services.
• Conducts root cause analyses (RCA), apparent cause analyses (ACA), and contributes to multidisciplinary investigations following adverse events.
• Facilitates multidisciplinary process mapping and workflow redesign.
• Develops dashboards and performance reports to monitor process reliability and improve outcomes.
• Leads development, implementation, revision, and maintenance of respiratory care clinical guidelines, protocols, policies, and standard work.
• Evaluates current literature and emerging best practices to support evidence‑based clinical decision making.
• Monitors compliance with departmental policies, infection prevention standards, equipment management requirements, and documentation expectations.
• Collects, analyzes, interprets, and presents clinical and operational data using statistical process control, run charts, dashboards, and trend analyses to evaluate performance.

What You Will Need

Education:

• Associate's Degree Respiratory Care, Bachelor's preferred

Experience:

• Registered Respiratory Therapist, active NC license

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications:

• Academic adult and neo/peds critical care, inpatient and outpatient settings

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.