Respiratory Therapist - Pediatric

Role Overview

Respiratory Therapist - Pediatric at American Hospital Dubai, providing patient care and respiratory care services for neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients in accordance with established clinical objectives and international accreditation standards.

Role Purpose

Deliver safe, high-quality respiratory care services and basic cardiopulmonary diagnostic testing while maintaining compliance with American Hospital Dubai policies, Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), American Heart Association (AHA), American Thoracic Society (ATS), American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC), and American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) clinical practices and guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

Quality and Safety

• Perform safe and quality respiratory care services and basic cardiopulmonary diagnostic tests following clinical policy and procedures established by American Hospital Dubai and the Cardiopulmonary Department.
• Respond to patient emergencies and assist or perform Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) whenever clinically indicated and as prescribed by the physician.
• Conduct comprehensive patient assessment and reassessment before, during, and after each clinical test procedure following World Health Organization assessment standards and Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) requirements.
• Communicate directly with attending or ordering physicians and Medical Consultants and immediately report vague or contraindicated diagnostic procedures, unstable patient vital signs, preliminary critical diagnostic findings, test complications, medication adverse reactions, patient refusal to testing, and serious clinical events or patient emergencies.
• Refrain from utilizing any medical equipment that failed functional or bio-calibration and verbally report equipment problems to Biomedical Engineers or through the Service Requisition Software electronic reporting system for immediate inspection and repair.

Infection Prevention and Documentation

• Disinfect all medical equipment after each patient utilization following Infection Prevention and Control clinical standards and hospital and department clinical policy and procedures.
• Dispose of all soiled or used single-patient-use medical supplies after each test procedure using medical biohazard bins and following Infection Prevention and Control standards and established clinical policy and procedures.
• Document all test procedures and clinical test events into the patient's electronic medical records (EMR) following hospital and department clinical policy and procedures.

Equipment and Maintenance

• Perform daily patient room safety checks, respiratory supply checks, and patient room temperature and humidity checks following established clinical policy and procedures.
• Perform monthly inventory of all medical supplies, review medical equipment preventive maintenance requirements and respiratory medications, and replenish all requirements as applicable.
• Prepare all medical equipment required for daily diagnostic testing and perform daily functional checks and calibration before diagnostic test procedures, including checking all accessories and supplies.
• Operate and troubleshoot all cardiopulmonary medical equipment including Cardiac Monitors, Pulse Oximeters, Invasive and Non-invasive Mechanical Ventilators, Suction Machines, Blood Gas Analyzers, Medical Gases Equipment, Bedside Spirometer, Wright manometer, and Oxygen Medical Devices.

Respiratory Care Services

• Perform independently Oxygen Therapy including Low Flow Oxygen Delivery Systems, High Flow Oxygen Delivery Systems, and Heated High Flow Nasal Cannula Systems.
• Administer Aerosol Therapy including heated or non-heated oxygen delivery systems.
• Administer Aerosol Drug Administration using Small Volume Nebulizer (SVN) with bronchodilators, corticosteroids, antibiotics, mucolytics, hypertonic and normal saline solutions.
• Administer Aerosol Drug Administration using Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) with bronchodilators and corticosteroids.
• Monitor and maintain Respiratory Medication Stock and inventory.
• Perform Bronchial Hygiene procedures including sputum induction and collection, directive cough assist, deep breathing exercises, and tracheal suctioning (oral and nasopharyngeal).
• Perform Chest Physiotherapy and Postural Drainage with portable percussor and vest percussor.
• Perform Incentive Spirometry and Simple Bedside Spirometry including pre- and post-bronchodilator testing.
• Measure Peak Expiratory Flow and Forced Vital Capacity.
• Perform Blood Gas Sampling and Analysis and interpretation (arterial, venous, capillary, and fetal).
• Perform Blood Gas Sampling and Analysis and Interpretation including electrolytes, lactate, and bilirubin.
• Manage Arterial Line blood sampling, monitoring, and maintenance.
• Manage Artificial Airway including Oral Airway, Nasopharyngeal Airway, Laryngeal Mask Airway, Endotracheal, Trach, and Tracheostomy Tube.
• Assist with Tracheal Intubation in elective, emergency, and Code Blue situations.
• Assist with Tracheal Tube Removal and post-weaning procedures.
• Manage Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilator including NCPAP and BIPAP initial setup and subsequent monitoring.
• Manage Invasive Mechanical Ventilator including initial setup, subsequent monitoring, and patient transport.
• Perform Exercise Pulse Oximetry Monitoring including Six-Minute Walking Exercise.
• Perform Continuous Nocturnal Pulse Oximetry Monitoring.
• Provide Emergency Response and Assistance in Code Blue and Code Green situations and patient critical transport inside or outside the hospital.
• Provide Patient Respiratory Care Education and In-services for patients planned for discharge regarding respiratory care procedures, treatments, and respiratory medical equipment setup and preventive maintenance.

Pulmonary Diagnostic Testing

• Assess patient before procedure and administer prescribed respiratory treatment with respiratory medications required during Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) and reassess patient including therapeutic or adverse effects.
• Perform independently Spirometry and Spirometry Pre and Post testing.
• Perform independently Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) Complete and Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) Complete Pre and Post bronchodilator.
• Perform Fraction of Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurement.
• Review and evaluate quality of Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) machine-generated preliminary reports and submit all preliminary reports to Pulmonary Consultant for evaluation and final results.
• Assess patient before procedure and perform prescribed Polysomnography (PSG) Studies, monitor and observe patient, and reassess patient after test procedure.
• Perform independently basic Polysomnography (PSG) Studies including Home Sleep Screen Monitoring and Home Sleep Screen preliminary report review.
• Review and evaluate quality of Polysomnography (PSG) preliminary recording and submit preliminary scored report to Pulmonary and/or Sleep Medicine Consultant for evaluation and final results.

Diagnostic Test Operations

• Review daily patient diagnostic test schedules, patient daily acuity, and patient medical records before test procedure.
• Identify correct patient and assist patient and/or patient's relative with registration and billing process requirements.
• Admit patient to department and/or visit patient in specified clinical area and independently perform prescribed diagnostic test procedure.
• Provide patient and/or patient's relative with clinical education for specific and prescribed diagnostic test procedures that include test indications, contraindications, goals and expectations, potential complications, and specific instructions.
• Assess patient before procedure and perform prescribed respiratory care services, monitor and observe patient during procedure, and reassess patient after test procedure.
• Review quality of preliminary test reports after each patient's test procedure on diagnostic tests including Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) and Polysomnography (PSG) studies.
• Prepare preliminary diagnostic test reports and/or machine-generated preliminary reports after each test procedure and submit preliminary report copy to Medical Consultants for immediate review, evaluation, and final results.

Patient Management and Reporting

• Communicate directly with attending or ordering physician and/or Medical Consultant and immediately report sudden clinical deterioration of patients who may require transfer admission at American Hospital Dubai Emergency Department.
• Discharge patient from department after test procedure following hospital patient discharge policy and reassess patient ensuring vital signs are checked and noted within normal range.
• Assist patient in completing medical billing process and complete patient's diagnostic test Order Entry in Power chart after each diagnostic test procedure.
• Perform follow-up audit for turnaround time final test results to specific Medical Consultants for all diagnostic test procedures performed as per hospital and department policy.
• Prepare monthly statistical report of all physicians who review and finalize all diagnostic test procedures performed in the department.

Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Participate in Key Performance Improvement projects and Clinical Measures requirements for respiratory section of the department.

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