Clarification from the agency

This position is ONLY open to current, permanent Salt Lake City Health Care System Employees NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

• Serves as the on-tour lead or charge respiratory therapist, coordinating real-time operations of respiratory care services across inpatient areas and functioning as the primary point of contact for respiratory therapy during the shift.
• Distributes and balances workload among respiratory therapists based on patient acuity, staff competency, and service priorities.
• Reviews inpatient census, acuity, consults, and emergency department/ICU activity; develops and communicates staff assignments, coverage for rapid response/code events, transports, and breaks, and makes necessary reassignments to meet dynamic acute care
• Acts as the responsible on-tour lead in the absence of supervisory personnel, resolving routine clinical and operational issues, facilitating problem solving among staff, and escalating complex or emergent concerns through the established chain of command.
• Provides advanced respiratory care to complex and critically ill patients, including comprehensive cardiopulmonary assessment, invasive and non-invasive ventilator management, interpretation of diagnostic data (e.g., arterial blood gases), and adjustment of therapy within established protocols and provider orders.
• Functions as an active member of emergency and rapid response teams, providing advanced airway management, manual and mechanical ventilation support, and other emergent respiratory interventions in the ICU, emergency department, and inpatient units.
• Serves as a clinical resource and consultant to respiratory therapists, nursing, physicians, and other interprofessional team members regarding complex acute cases, escalation of therapy, and evidence-based respiratory care practices.
• Collaborates with providers to recommend and implement uncommon or atypical respiratory interventions when standard therapies are insufficient, ensuring that such interventions align with clinical standards and VHA guidelines.
• Provides day-to-day clinical guidance, mentoring, and just-in-time education to respiratory staff on assigned tours, reinforcing adherence to policies, procedures, and protocols, and supporting consistent practice across all shifts and inpatient units.
• Assists with orientation, training, and competency validation for new and existing staff and students, particularly in high-acuity ICU and ED environments.
• Provides input to supervisory staff regarding observed strengths, performance issues, and developmental needs.
• Promotes effective, respectful communication and teamwork by facilitating collaboration among respiratory therapists and with other disciplines; addresses conflicts or concerns at the lowest appropriate level and refers unresolved issues to supervisory staff as needed.
• Ensures timely and accurate hand-off communication between outgoing and incoming tours, including patient status, ventilator and high-flow support parameters, pending diagnostics or interventions, equipment needs, and unresolved operational issues that may impact continuity of acute inpatient care.
• Monitors adherence to safety practices, infection-prevention standards, and equipment-use guidelines in critical and acute care areas; identifies trends or issues related to quality and safety and collaborates with leadership on corrective actions or process improvements.
• Oversees proper set-up, operation, troubleshooting, and basic maintenance of respiratory equipment such as ventilators, high-flow systems, and non-invasive devices during the shift; initiates work orders and coordinates with Biomedical Engineering and other services to ensure availability of safe, functional equipment.
• Performs and/or coordinates limited outpatient and bedside diagnostic testing (such as basic pulmonary function or spirometry and blood gas sampling/analysis), ensuring accurate performance, documentation, and communication of results.
• Participates in service and facility quality-improvement and performance-measurement activities , including data collection, audits, emergency response reviews, and implementation of practice changes to support consistent, 24/7 acute respiratory care.
• Provides Veteran and family education related to acute and chronic respiratory conditions, therapies, and equipment use (e.g., oxygen, inhaled medications, non-invasive ventilation), using communication methods tailored to individual needs and health literacy levels.

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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

**This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until 10/27/2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 10, 2026. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.**

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the 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.

Credential: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT.

English Language Proficiency: RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist GS-12

(a) Experience, Licensure and Credential.

Candidates must:
i. Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level. RRTs at this grade level in this assignment have experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across many areas of respiratory care both inpatient and outpatient.

AND

ii. Hold an active license and RRT credential

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
.
i. Ability to assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
ii. Ability to oversee and direct clinical guidance in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
iii. Ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds to solve problems and provide conflict resolution.
iv. Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions.
v. Ability to recommend ways to improve patient care and operations through independent research and evaluation of new equipment and therapies

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction:
a. Sight-corrected to 20/20 vision
b. Lifting 30 lbs.
c. Pushing 65Ibs.
d. Stooping
e. Bending
f. Prolonged standing and walking
g. Two hands with good dexterity
h. The physical requirements vary with work assignments.
i. Understands and practices safety procedures
j. Use of aseptic techniques and required personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with patients in isolation

Work is primarily performed in patient care areas, in-patient and outpatient. Extensive interaction with patients, staff, physicians, family members, and visitors is involved. Moving equipment and supplies, lifting, bending, stooping, and possible exposure to body fluid is involved. This position has been evaluated as a Level 1 in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) definition of occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens. Level 1 Positions in this category require the performance of tasks that are exposed to blood and potentially infectious body fluid.

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, resume, 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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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.