About the Department

Position Duties

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
Develops monthly work schedules for review and approval by Director of Respiratory Therapy Services;
Provides in-service and other types of relevant education to applicable staff, students providers and other interdisciplinary teams as necessary;
Assists in development and revision of respiratory care policies and procedures;
Compiles daily volume indicators by work shift; coordinates assigning of work based on patient care needs and staff capabilities;
Assists the Director with monitoring employee time and attendance, participates in disciplinary matters, assists in reviewing time-off and overtime requests, may approve/deny time-off and overtime requests in absence of Director, and may serve as timekeeper in place of Director;
Assists in performing audits of documentation for services rendered and medication administration to maintain compliance as required;
Monitors compliance of personnel with departmental and hospital policies and takes corrective action when necessary;
Participates in interdisciplinary committees;
Supports and participates in the quality improvement process;
May participate in the interview process of potential applicants;
Orients new staff to their duties;
Serves as a clinical resource person, patient advocate, and clinical role model;
Communicates all clinical and operational activities from shift to shift;
Communicates immediate concerns related to staff performance issues, physician or patient concerns or related issues to the Director;
Maintains supply stock and orders such as needed to maintain appropriate level of supplies;
Records clinical and technical information on patients receiving respiratory care services in patient record;
Manages all artificial and natural airways; responsible for assessment and care of tracheostomy sites, endotracheal tube placement, cuff pressures, suctioning, etc.;
Provides respiratory support by utilizing various non-invasive positive pressure devices;
Sets up mechanical ventilators, assess patients and suggest recommendations for airway management;
Performs patient education and discharge planning for patients requiring home respiratory care to include home oxygen evaluations;
Evaluates patients for respiratory treatments and administers all forms of respiratory therapy treatments including, but not limited to: aerosol therapy, metered dose inhaler (MDI), dry powder inhaler (DPI), incentive spirometry, sputum inductions, peak flows, etc.;
Transports critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation and assists in the operating room with patients on complex mechanical ventilation settings;
Performs daily weaning assessments;
Responds to medical emergencies; 
Performs CPR and arterial blood gases.  

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Possession of an Associate’s degree* or higher degree* in Respiratory Therapy or closely related field and two (2) years of experience as a licensed respiratory therapist in a hospital; and

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Possession of a license to practice Respiratory Therapy in New York State at time of application and maintenance throughout duration of appointment; and 
Possession of Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credential** (see Note 2) as issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) at time of application and maintenance throughout duration of appointment; and 
Possession of Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification from an ECMCC approved provider at time of appointment and maintenance throughout duration of appointment.
 
NOTE 1: *Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education.  If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency.  A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm.  You must pay the required evaluation fee.
 
NOTE 2: **Permanent employees hired prior to October 26, 2016, that possess and maintain a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) Credential but not do possess and maintain a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credential shall remain deemed qualified for this title.

Notice to Candidates: Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application. All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview. 

Other Qualifications

Subjects of Examination:

The only subject of examination will be an evaluation of your training and experience. You are therefore, asked to include in your application a summary of all pertinent training and experience in sufficient detail so that your background may be evaluated against the duties of the position.

In your summary of training include all college course work, formal in-service training, and seminars you have attended. You must specify either the number of credits received or the number of contact hours and dates of attendance. Also include a copy of your professional license. Specify the date that your license was first issued.

In your summary of experience, you must specify the dates of your employment, the number of hours worked per week, your title, and the main duties for each. Be specific; vagueness and ambiguity will NOT be resolved in your favor. Candidates who submit incomplete applications or documentation may be disqualified.

A medical examination may be required before appointment.

Notes:

HOW TO APPLY: Either online by clicking "Apply" on the top right of the online exam announcement or by printing a paper application from erie.gov, Erie County Application for Examination or Appointment, or if you do not have internet access you may pick up an application form at the Erie County Personnel Department, 95 Franklin Street, Room 604, Buffalo, New York 14202. Forms are also available at Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries and at Town, Village and School District administrative offices.

Completed forms should then be returned to the Erie County Personnel Department. In addition, candidates must request their colleges to send transcripts to the Erie County Personnel Department or attach transcripts to your application. No applications will be evaluated until all the above information, including transcripts, is received.

MILITARY STATUS: If you expect to enter military service, you may still compete in this examination and may be appointed or reinstated after you return home from active duty.

VERIFICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates may be investigated or called for an interview to determine whether they qualified for appointment. In addition to meeting specific requirements, candidates and appointees must be of good moral character and habits.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Candidates may be subject to a thorough background investigation to determine suitability for appointment. Applicants may be required to authorize access to educational, employment, criminal history and other records check as part of such investigation. Criminal convictions or other offense are subject to evaluation and may result in disqualification. Applicant will be required to submit the necessary fees for the fingerprint processing, where required.

VETERANS: Disabled and non-disabled veterans as defined in Section 85, New York State Civil Service Law, will have 5 and 2.5 points, respectively, added to their earned scores if successful in the examination. You should claim these credits when you file application but you have an option to waive them any time prior to appointment. If you have already used these credits you may not claim them again. Children of firefighters or police officers killed in the line of duty may also be eligible for additional credit. Contact the Erie County Personnel Dept. for more information.

This examination is prepared by the New York State Department of Civil Service and held in compliance with the New York State Civil Service Law and the rules and regulations of the New York State Department of Civil Service.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $15.00 filing fee is required for this exam. If applying online the payment process will be outlined. When submitting by mail or hand delivering, the required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.