Why UnityPoint Health?    

Commitment to our Team – We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members.    

Culture – At UnityPoint Health, you matter. Come for a fulfilling career and experience a culture guided by uncompromising values and an unwavering belief in doing what's right for the people we serve.    

Benefits – Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in.     

• Caring is what we do, and it starts with our team members: expect paid time off, parental leave, 401K matching and an employee recognition program as we support you both personally and professionally.  
• You can only give your best when you feel your best, and we help you live well with dental and health insurance, paid holidays, short and long-term disability and more. We even offer pet insurance for your four-legged family members to give you peace of mind.   
• We strive to make things easier and more personal in health care to set us apart from the rest, and you can experience that commitment through early access to earned wages with Daily Pay, a tuition reimbursement program designed to help you further your career and adoption assistance to help you grow your family in the way that works for you.  

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment – At UnityPoint Health, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together. Our collective goal is to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected.   

Development – We believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is an essential part of delivering a remarkable employment experience.   

Community Involvement – Be an essential part of our core purpose—to improve the health of the people and communities we serve.    

Hear more from our team members about why UnityPoint Health is a great place to work at  https://dayinthelife.unitypoint.org 

Under the supervision of the medical director, the Respiratory Therapist-Registered is responsible to provide respiratory care services in accordance with physicians’ orders, department policies and procedures, as well as respiratory therapy-driven protocols. The Respiratory Therapist is responsible for providing basic and advanced care services to neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients.

Clinical Excellence/Patient Care

• Assesses and evaluates the respiratory status of neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients.
• Determines requirements for treatment, such as type, method, and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, and medication and dosages, compatible with physicians’ orders.
• Initiates, conducts, and modifies prescribed therapeutic and diagnostic procedures per established protocols.
• Monitors patient’s physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes, and consults with physician if adverse reaction occurs.
• Applies and monitors medical gases and related respiratory therapy modalities.
• Develops the respiratory care plan based on the assessment of the patient.
• Responds to Code Blue/Pink, Trauma, Rapid Response Team or other urgent calls for patient care.
• Provides emergency care, including artificial respiration, external cardiac massage and assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Sets up and operates devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. Manages ventilators and artificial airway devices.
• Reviews patient information to assess patient condition.

Leadership/Collaboration

• Works collaboratively with the team of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to manage patient care.
• Enforces safety rules and ensures careful adherence to physicians’ orders.
• Deploys clinical quality initiatives in the respiratory therapy service line.
• Uses a variety of research techniques to assist the physician in cardiac and pulmonary best practices.
• Demonstrates respiratory care procedures to trainees and other health care personnel.
• Collaborates with community partners for the development and maintenance of community outreach programs.

Development/Education

• Performs pulmonary function testing and adjusts equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Educates patients and their families about their conditions and teaches appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises and the use of medications and respiratory equipment.
• Explains treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Maintains and updates department policies and procedures per evidence-based practice standards.
• Uses problem solving to identify and correct malfunctions of respiratory care equipment.