Respiratory Care Team Leader

The Team leader functions as the clinical leader with responsibility for staff supervision, timeliness of procedures,

patient safety, efficient resource utilization, mentoring of unit staff, especially recent hires, shift assignments and

overall quality of care delivered. The Team Leader plans, coordinates, and directs quality, compassionate care by

maintaining standards of professional practice and creating positive therapeutic relationships with patients/families.

The Team Leader, under the supervision of the Director, provides and coordinates in-services and continuing

education programs for the clinical staff when indicated. Participates in PI activities, collects data to assess employee performance and participates in staff evaluation process. The Team Leader must be available to work weekends and holidays as per unit needs. Shifts may include 12 hour and/or 8-hour shift patterns with the goal of

providing ongoing Team Leader support each day of the week.

The Team Leader is responsible for the following leadership and management duties

• Assists with interviews, selection, and employee retention
• Ensures orientation and training for employees
• Manages performance
• Assists with progressive discipline up to termination
• Manages front line operations of area of accountability related to meeting/exceedingdepartment goals, DCH Values, DCH Mission and Vision.
• Coordinates unit activities and provides leadership for unit staffing and patient assignments
• Serves as a clinical resource for staff especially for new employees and during complex patient care situations.
• Promotes efficient patient care including timely completion of procedures
• Encourages a safe environment by promoting adherence to established protocols, policies and procedures
• Effectively implements current techniques and /or programs to improve patient care processes
• Responds and provides direction during crisis and emergency situations
• Ensures care is delivered appropriately by orientating staff in accordance with standards of practice, review of clinical record for appropriate documentation, and review of documentation of appropriate orders during use of department protocols. Leads staff huddles to communicate important, “just in time” information to all staff on duty.
• Regularly rounds on patients, physicians, and employees with focus on clinical safety, quality compliance, patient experience, satisfaction, physician and employee satisfaction and staff performance
• Rounds with physicians
• Provides direct patient care when needed
• Maintains records related to orientation in-service and unit competency assessments
• Adheres to productivity, revenue, and expense goals
• Assures compliance with policies and procedures
• Displays sound judgment and critical thinking skills in areas of decision making and problem solving
• Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates programs for in-service and orientation
• Participates in PI programs
• Responsible for assessing and meeting own professional education needs
• Maintains effective interdepartmental relationships by working with other leaders and departments to define and work toward common goals
• Assures compliance with various quality standards and regulatory agency requirements (The Joint Commission, CMS, AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines, PI Process, Value-Based Purchasing, Structural Indicators, and etc.)
• Directs activities toward support of DCH Mission and achievement of department and unit goals and objectives
• Maintains exemplary attendance and availability to department need and rotates management duty including guidance call
• Communicates information verbally and in writing to appropriate persons
• Regularly prepares and presents staffing and outcome metrics with action plans
• Consistently demonstrates the ability to utilize clinical data from Order Management and Clinical Review
• Demonstrates knowledge of documentation and down time procedures
• Observes and practices DCH policy concerning patient confidentiality including on-line information and the Medical Record on file
• Performs initial and annual competency per job class
• Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlines in the performance evaluation
• Must coordinate uses of EHR and apply use of software programs by DCH system
• Participates in on call rotation
• Demonstrate leadership skills
• Requires decision making that will affect others
• Responsible to achieve outcomes
• Must be able to communicate clearly and accurately
• Ability to delegate to team members and students
• Must be able to receive delegation
• Address conflict and stressful situation
• Communicate with different personalities and engage in face to face discussion
• Dealing with unpleasant or verbally/physically aggressive personalities
• Must be able to use electronic mail, telephone and texting
• Must be able to work in groups
• Must be able to perform structured and unstructured work
• Must be meet time pressure and time lines
• Includes possible exposure to human body fluids, disease, infection, lab chemicals and hazardous materials and/or cleaning solutions
• Requires wearing of common protective and safety equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, mask, gowns, etc.
• Perform Low/High Level Disinfection as per manufacturer’s recommendation (IFU)
• Performs and accurately records technical procedures safely, effectively, efficiently, and within scope of policy
• Advocate for and participant in patient safety
• Patient care procedures include but not limited to the following
• Oxygen/Aerosol Therapy
• Bronchial Hygiene
• Postural Drainage and Percussion
• Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing, VPEP, PAP, PEP
• Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation
• Cough Assist
• Aerosolized Medications
• Hand Held Nebulizer
• Metered Dose Inhaler
• Dry Powder Inhaler
• Adult/Pediatric/Neonatal Critical/Acute Care (Neonatal Intensive Care is not required)
• CPAP/BiPAP
• Mechanical ventilation including transport
• Heated High Flow Therapy
• Blood collection and analysis
• Emergency tracheostomy tube replacement
• Bedside Pulmonary Function Testing
  
  
  

DCH Standards

• Maintains performance, patient and employee satisfaction and financial standards as outlined in the performance evaluation.
• Performs compliance requirements as outlined in the Employee Handbook
• Must adhere to the DCH Behavioral Standards including creating positive relationships with patients/families, coworkers, colleagues and with self.
• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet.
• Must adhere to all DCH Health System policies and procedures.
• All other duties as assigned.
• RRT with current Alabama Respiratory Care licensure, Bachelor degree or a minimum of 5 years RRT experience required
• Experience performing as charge therapist or leadership as a RRT
• Proven customer service abilities including listening skills, critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and ability to work with the minimal supervision in a fast pace environment are required
• BCLS provider upon hire and ACLS and NRP within one year of start date
• Membership in appropriate professional organization (i.e. American Association for Respiratory Care, Alabama Society for Respiratory Care) is strongly encouraged
• Requires use of electronic mail, time and attendance software, learning management software and intranet
• Must be able to read, write legibly, speak and comprehend English
• Basic MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint skills
  
  
  

Working Conditions

WORK CONTEXT

• Environmental Conditions Includes exposure to human fluids, disease, infection, lab chemicals and hazard materials and/or cleaning solutions. Requires wearing common protective or safety equipment.
• Psychological Conditions Includes demonstrating leadership skills. Delegating to team members, addressing conflict, communicating with all types of personalities, and being responsible for outcomes/results.
  
  
  

PHYSICAL FACTORS

• Ability to tolerate prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Ability to lift and carry up to a maximum of 50 pounds with frequent lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to do frequent stooping and on occasion crouching, crawling, or kneeling.
• Ability to reach reasonable distances in any direction.
• Ability to run in emergency situations.
• Must be able to move fingers in a coordinated manner.
• Must have ability to feel and perceive temperatures, texture, shape and size with fingertips.
• Physical presence onsite is essential.
• Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range.
• Able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.