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If you are a current, permanent Federal employee, please apply on announcement CBST-11503588-22-ARS.

Duties of the Registered Respiratory Therapist are, but not limited to:

• Consults with physicians and other healthcare professionals to ensure quality of patient care within area of specialty, manages and maintains the airway and ventilation of the patient using appropriate mechanical means.
• Determines and implements complex respiratory care such as protocols, respiratory modalities, bronchoscopy, medications or supplemental oxygen, monitors critical systems, and assists/performs intubation.
• Uses advanced modes of ventilation and outpatient services such as home ventilators and COPD case management.
• Suggests alternate modes of treatment where indicated based on assessment and analysis of patient response to treatment.
• May perform invasive procedures such as arterial line placement.
• Responsible for airway management during a cardiac or respiratory arrest. Assist with other aspects of CPR. Responds to Code Blue's (CPR) and RRT Rapid Response Team calls.
• Initiates mechanical ventilation, selecting the equipment and settings relative to the patients needs based on assessment of the patient and physician orders.
• Responds to all STAT calls regarding a patient's respiratory status, making an assessment and providing emergency ventilatory and/or oxygenation support. May involve such modalities as high frequency ventilation, ASV, Spont PEEP/VS, DuoPAP, APVsimv, APRV and other state of the art modalities or techniques.
• Monitors mechanical ventilation via ABG results, chest auscultation, chest x-rays, bedside pulmonary functions, clinical observations and adjusts parameters accordingly.
• Maintains the patient on mechanical ventilation providing periodic checks, appropriate troubleshooting and equipment maintenance.
• Removes patient from mechanical ventilation using appropriate monitoring and weaning techniques to determine the patient's ability to breathe spontaneously.
• Airway management responsibilities to include suctioning, securing the airway, and other hygiene functions are shared with nursing personnel, including: suctioning nasotracheal and endotracheal, chest physiotherapy, VEST Therapy, administration of aerosolized pharmacological agents, and assistance with the selection, placement, monitoring, cuff integrity and subsequent change of both endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes.
• Administers and monitors oxygen to include High Flow Oxygen per policy and procedure manual.
• Initiates hyperinflation therapies to include, but not limited to, acapella, incentive spirometry or other PAP therapies in accordance to physician's orders or protocol.
• Performs Bedside spirometry, ABG's, pulmonary mechanics, assists bedside bronchoscope, sputum inductions, and HO2 set ups and education as needed.
• Performs arterial blood gas punctures (radial/brachial and femoral sticks with physician approval), analysis and report results, particularly critical values to physician and or primary nurse and may assist in the placement or drawing from indwelling arterial lines with proper certification and competencies.
• Monitors/measures lung parameters such as (vital capacity, tidal volumes, negative inspiratory force, etc.) and recommends various forms of weaning procedures to the Attending Physician and house staff physician upon patient's critical status.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its successor.
• Licensure: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a State to practice as an RRT.
• RRT Credential: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT from the National Board of Respiratory Care.
  • Exception. RT positions will be designated only to individuals who are in the process of obtaining credentials to become an RRT. These individuals will only be hired on a temporary appointment as provided below.
    1. VHA may waive the RRT credential requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified and pending completion of prerequisites for RRT credential. Individuals who have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor, acquired the CRT credential, are fully licensed by their state and are working toward completion of their RRT credential may be given a temporary appointment as an RT. The temporary appointment is made under the authority of 38U.S.C. § 7401(a)(1)(B) for a period not to exceed one year from date of employment. Candidates must hold an active, current, full and unrestricted RRT credential and be licensed to hold a position at or above the GS-07level.
    2. RTs may only be temporarily appointed at the GS-05 level and may not be promoted/converted to a higher-level position as an RRT until the RRT credential is received.
    3. RTs must provide care only under the close supervision of an RRT.
    4. Temporary RT appointments may not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment.

• 2 years medical/surgical intensive care experience
• Current BLS/ACLS certification

• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level.
• Hold an active license and RRT credential

• Ability to collaboratively consult with physicians and other healthcare professionals for complex respiratory care to develop care plans to provide favorable patient outcomes.
• Skill in evaluating the efficacies of therapeutic modalities.
• Skill in performing advanced airway and ventilation management.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.