Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 46,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus $10,000

Loan forgiveness up to $21k

Clinical Ladder Program – up to $6,000

Job summary

Advocate Health seeks a Respiratory Therapist at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI for night shift (0.75 FTE) with weekend and holiday rotation. The role focuses on ventilator support, patient assessment, and therapy administration.

Requires RCP license, NBRC credentials, and BLS. Graduate with an associate degree in respiratory care. Strong emphasis on safety, education, and teamwork in a hospital setting.

Qualifications

• Graduate from an accredited respiratory care program, with a minimum of an associate degree.
• Licensure as RCP and NBRC credentials within required timeline.
• BLS certification for Healthcare Providers.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients using pulmonary diagnostics and related data; address department-specific needs.
• Operate ventilators and assist physicians with procedures.
• Provide therapies per physician orders and respiratory protocols.
• Maintain and troubleshoot equipment; identify service/repair needs.
• Educate patients on therapy purpose, technique, and self-care.
• Collaborate with departments to manage patient care and safety.
• Demonstrate compliance with policies and patient handoff procedures.
• Teach and precept new teammates and students.
• Adapt care to age-specific patient needs and growth development.

Skills

Ventilator operation

Effective communication

Problem solving

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Teaching & mentoring

EMR proficiency

Education

Associate degree in respiratory care

Tools

EMR systems

Job description

Location: Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center - Milwaukee, WI

Shift/Schedule: 0.75 FTE, Nights, every 4th weekend, and a holiday rotation.

Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60/hour

Clinical Ladder Program – up to $6,000 in additional yearly bonus potential

• Sign on Bonus $10,000
• May be eligible for Loan Forgiveness (up to $21k)

Major Responsibilities:

• Uses Respiratory therapy processes to support assessment of patient utilizing a variety of skills such as pulmonary diagnostics, chest radiograph, hemodynamic values, laboratory values, and correlates blood gases and electrolytes. Can identify and address the special needs of patient population specific to department services.
• Operates specialized ventilators in critical and non-critical care venues. Assists physician with bedside or other procedures as applicable to facility.
• Provides medication treatments and therapies per physician order and/or patient driven respiratory protocols as prescribed.
• Cleans, maintains, and ensures proper functionality of equipment. Troubleshoots equipment as necessary and identifies the need for service and/or repair.
• Educates and instructs patients in purpose, technique, self-care, goal of therapy, and disease management.
• Facilitates clinical problem solving and collaborates with other departments to provide education on managing patients.
• Under physician direction, the respiratory therapist must be able to adapt and comply to policies and procedures for a variety of different service areas, perform tasks and/or special duties as required by assignment and maintain performance standards and organizational behaviors.
• Demonstrates effective communication, feedback, and conflict resolution skills. Provides clear, concise, timely, and accurate patient handoff.
• Promotes a culture of safety by recognizing and applying proper safety measures to prevent patient harm. Reports patient safety events and near misses in a timely manner. Seeks to identify potential safety issues and assists in the implementation of corrective actions.
• Teaches, educates, and precepts new teammates, orientees, and students.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required:

• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license issued by the state in which the team member practices.
• Active Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) within 12 months OR active Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential issued by the NBRC if credential received prior to January 1, 2023.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providerscertification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA).
• See Education/Certification Addendum for any additional site-specific requirements.

Education Required:

Graduate from an accredited respiratory care program, with a minimum of an associate degree.

Experience Required:

No experience required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Effective organizational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Problem solving and decision making for patient care and equipment use.
• Proficient computer skills, use of e-mail and electronic medical record systems.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal), listening and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrates human relation skills with the ability to develop rapport and maintain positive, professional relationships with a variety of patients, team members, and physicians. Ability to take initiative and work collaboratively with others.
• Demonstrates time management skills with an ability to multi-task and prioritize in an environment with frequent interruptions.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.
• Must be able to lift 50 lb object from knee to waist.
• Must be able to lift 50 lb from floor to waist height occasionally.
• Must be able to lift 40 lb at waist height and carry it across various distances.
• Must be able to lift 20 lb from waist to overhead.
• Must be able to push/pull while utilizing 30# of force occasionally for long distances.
• Must demonstrate stand-pivot transfer from bed to chair.
• Must perform sliding transfer of 150 lbs. person on a sheet across 2 feet with a second person.
• Must utilize safe body mechanics at all times.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.