Covenant Health

Registered Respiratory Therapist

PRN/OCC, Night Shift

Parkwest Overview:

Parkwest is West Knoxville’s premier medical facility and a top performing heart hospital. In addition to providing the area’s leading cardiac services, Parkwest has been nationally recognized for award-winning care throughout our facility. For 2020-21 Parkwest received recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Top 10” hospitals in Tennessee.

Respiratory Therapy:

The Respiratory Department covers all units of the hospital including critical care, ED and all inpatient beds. Our department is comprised of a manager, one supervisor, three shifts leaders, and a mixture of CRT, RRT, and ACCS staff. Respiratory therapy is a fast-paced, high-demand department where employees must work as a team in order to ensure quality patient care.  We have a family-oriented type environment with a mixture of seasoned long-term employees and newer employees. Most full-time employees are on a set schedule consisting of 8 or 12 hour shifts, there are some variable shift positions within the department as well.

Position Summary: 

Provides care to patients with respiratory insufficiency and related complications.  Functions as part of the direct patient team to provide overall quality care and serves as a resource and specialist to patients, all patient care givers and physicians.  May be required to exercise clinical judgment under the order of a licensed physician.

Contact Jason Shubert if you have any questions 865-374-5393, jshuber1@covhlth.com 

• Demonstrates respiratory care competency of critical and clinical skills on an annual basis.
• Demonstrates the ability to be flexible, handle multiple assignments, balance priorities, and make decisions quickly and function under stressful situations.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform all aspects of respiratory therapy to include age specific and related patient care in a safe and competent manner.
• Demonstrates skill in emergency situations based up on department standards, policies, procedures and protocols, assumes a leadership role in emergency situations.
• Demonstrates the ability to assess, identify and treat patient health conditions as established by organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates the ability to make safe, effective and competent decisions regarding individual patient care. Express sound judgment.
• Demonstrates the ability to provide appropriate communication to nursing personnel and/or physicians, and other hospital staff as necessary. Must be able to demonstrate effective communication skills on all socioeconomic levels using tact, articulation and in a professional manner.
• Demonstrates competency/proficiency in mechanical ventilation, CPAP, and BiPAP skills to include current modes of ventilation, indications for use and calculations of necessary data.
• Demonstrates competency/proficiency in the performance of arterial blood gases and analysis per department policy and procedure. Quality control, troubleshooting, and quality assurance per department policy and procedures.
• Performs assigned tasks and uses equipment with skill and accuracy.
• Participates in performance improvement activities by making suggestions for unit/organizational improvements, data collection activities, and date analysis as appropriate.
• Documentation and charges are complete, accurate, timely and legible. Consistently document patient assessments, reassessments, patient education, goals, response to therapy and any other requirements for the patient medical record.
• Completes Quality Control procedures and documentation required by regulatory agencies, medical center and department policy.
• Maintains all equipment in a clean and functioning order. Responsible for location and inventory of any RT equipment utilized on a routine basis.
• Attends meetings as required and participates on committees as directed.
• Assists with the orientation and training of newly hired respiratory employees and the precepting of respiratory students.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

Minimum Education:

None specified; however, must be sufficient to meet the standards for achievement of the below indicated license and/or certification as required by the issuing authority.

Minimum Experience: 

Must have documented experience necessary to obtain state license.

Licensure Requirement:

Valid RRT Credential by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Licensed as a registered Respiratory Therapist by the State of Tennessee Health Related Boards with ABG endorsement.  Current work-permit acceptable per state regulations.  New Registry Eligible graduates may be hired in as an RRT and will have 90 days in which to pass the NBRC RRT exam and become credentialed.  Failure to obtain RRT credential within 90 days will result in a reclassification to CRT with an appropriate adjustment in pay. Current BLS.