Respiratory Therapist -DE
Indian Health Service - Department of Health and Human Services
To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S): Specialized Experience: For positions at GS-4 and above: Qualifying specialized experience must have demonstrated a knowledge of basic equipment used in respiratory therapy and included duties such as: Making regular rounds on hospital nursing units to review or collect clinical data to insure that the respiratory equipment is operating properly and in compliance with physicians’ orders. Transporting, setting up, or testing the operation of and changing simple oxygen administering devices, e.g., masks and nasal cannulas with cylinder or centralized medical gas systems. Disassembling, cleaning, assembling, and sterilizing reusable respiratory equipment such as oxygen analyzers and regulators, including recognizing and reporting variations from expected results. Examples of qualifying experience include work as a practical nurse, nursing assistant, medical machine aid, medical technician, or respiratory therapy aid if the above duties were performed. -OR- Education and Training: For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy. In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-05: 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree with courses related to the occupation; or, 1 year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level. Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Performs limited respiration/inhalation therapy duties for the care of patients with a variety of injuries and illnesses. Cleans, operates, and maintains the operation of basic respiratory equipment such as flowmeters, humidifiers, and hand ventilators, etc. Performs limited pulmonary functions test on patients. GS-06: 1 year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level. NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Independently carries out respiratory care for assigned patients. Resolves problems with equipment’s failure and makes substitutions as needed. Conducts Impedance Plethysmography (IPG) and Electrocardiograph (ECG) testing. GS-07: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Independently providing emergency inhalation therapy treatments to critically ill and high-risk patients. Sets up and operates pressure ventilators, pneumatic nebulizers to administer complex inhalation therapy treatments. Calibrates and maintains blood gas analyzer and blood gas supplies. GS-08: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Performing a variety of difficult respiratory therapy such as administering various medications to patients with acute and chronic respiratory distress. Performs airway and tube care on intensive care patients. Sets up, manages and monitors a variety of complex respiratory equipment. **Note: This is an Open Continuous Announcement; applicants will be referred when vacancies occur.
This position is located at Northern Navajo Medical Center, Division of Clinical Services, Branch of Respiratory Therapy, Shiprock, NM. Incumbent performs a wide range of judgment, ingenuity, and initiative in the application of respiratory therapy and cardiopulmonary procedures. Serves all areas of the hospital including, but not limited to: Medical/surgical, outpatient, emergency department, Pediatrics, Newborn/Nursery, and Intensive Care Unit.