As a Respiratory Intern, you will observe a variety of routine technical procedures in a classroom setting during department orientation. This period will allow you to gain knowledge in evaluating and treating individuals with compromised cardiopulmonary functions due to developmental defects, aging, physical injury, or disease. The intern period aims to provide effective respiratory care department orientation while assessing the overall competency of the new graduate.

Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

Under the general supervision of the Respiratory Care Education Coordinator, the Respiratory Intern will observe the following tasks performed by staff in the Respiratory Technician and Respiratory Therapist roles:

• Respiratory Care Treatments: Observing treatments for adult, pediatric, or neonatal patients.
• Treatment Explanation: Learning how to explain treatments to patients and/or families before performing them.
• Patient Observation: Noting physical signs and symptoms, general behavior, and responses to respiratory care procedures.
• Therapist-Physician Collaboration: Observing collaboration to determine the initiation, modification, or discontinuation of treatment regimens.
• Treatment Termination: Understanding when to terminate treatment due to patient discomfort, medical status, or inability to accept treatment.
• CPR Procedures: Observing CPR procedures, including airway management, manual ventilation, and cardiac compressions.
• Therapeutic and Diagnostic Gases: Watching the administration of therapeutic and diagnostic gases, bronchodilator treatments, chest physiotherapy, and aerosolized medication treatments.
• Oxygen and Humidified Air Delivery: Observing the delivery of oxygen and humidified air to reverse and prevent tissue hypoxia, treat arterial hypoxemia, decrease the work of breathing, and reduce myocardial work.
• Artificial Airway Management: Assisting physicians with the non-surgical insertion, maintenance, and removal of artificial airways.
• Airway Suctioning: Learning the technique of suctioning artificial and nasal/oral airways using a sterile disposable catheter.
• Age-Specific Techniques: Observing age-specific respiratory techniques for adult, pediatric, and neonatal populations.
• Mechanical Ventilation and CPAP: Observing the application and adjustment of mechanical ventilation and CPAP for critical care patients.
• Effectiveness of Interventions: Learning to interpret chest x-rays and blood gas results, and observing patient appearance, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation, notifying doctors as required.