Pulmonary Function Technician - Per Diem

Job Profile Summary

​This role focuses on assessing the needs of patients who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and delivering therapy services to improve their developmental, physical or cognitive impairment.  In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Respiratory Therapy duties: Evaluates patients and helps them improve physical and mental conditions through treating cardiopulmonary related dysfunction.   A clinical technologist role that has specialized knowledge or skills gained through a combination of vocational education, training, and experience. This role will be most commonly applied to patient care and/or scientific/laboratory jobs.  An entry-level role typically requiring little to no prior knowledge or experience and requiring vocational or technical education.  Work is routine or follows standard procedures, is closely supervised, and communicates information that requires little explanation or interpretation.

Job Overview

Under the general supervision and according to established procedures, this position records patient' lung volumes and flow rates and summarizes the data from such studies in order to assist a physician in the clinical evaluation of lung disease.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Associate’s degree

2. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

3. Six (6) months of relevant clinical experience in a technical, laboratory, or acute care setting.  

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Explains test procedures to patients to relieve apprehension and helps patient to relax and cooperate. 

2. Collects pertinent diagnostic information (as outlined in accepted procedure) from patients' records such as hematocrit, medications, and so forth. 

3. Escorts patient to and from pulmonary function laboratory. 

4. Performs lung volume testing with technical equipment such as gas analyzers, recorders, volume and flow measuring devices, water spirometers, etc. 

5. When necessary, draws blood for blood gas studies and performs tests. 

6. Calculates basic data and enters into computer for analysis. 

7. Assists during some special testing such as exercise testing.

8. Performs related clerical duties such as answering telephones, scheduling appointments, filing records, storing supplies and so forth. 

9. Maintains equipment in clean and proper working order and replenishes machines supplies as necessary. 

10. Performs minor equipment adjustment and notifies supervisor of serious malfunctions.

Physical Requirements: 

1. Works in normal patient care environment with no discomfort due to temperature, noise, dust and the like. 

2. Work requires walking, standing, pushing of equipment and lifting and positioning of patients. 

3. Work requires occasionally very close exposure to ill patients. 

4. Frequent contacts with physicians, patients, laboratory personnel, nurses and medical students and house staff.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Ability to perform complicated mathematical calculations.

2. Basic knowledge of biological science and medical terminology.

3. Interpersonal skills necessary to relieve apprehension and explain procedures to patients. 

4. Ability to effectively use pulmonary function testing devices such as: gas analyzers, recorders, volume and flow measuring devices, water spirometer, plethsmograph, ergometer, etc

5. Ability to judge when to proceed with routine testing and when to confirm with supervisor. 

6. Ability to communicate with and assess the needs of patients of all different age population in order to provide care appropriately.