Respiratory Care Practitioner I

• Sets up and operates respiratory equipment and apparatus in the administration of respiratory therapy treatment as prescribed by a physician.
• Operates blood gas analysis equipment and reports results.
• Makes rounds to check and make operating adjustments to respiratory therapy equipment in use or on standby in patient areas; cleans assembles, maintains, and repairs equipment as needed.
• Sets up and maintains long term ventilators.
• Performs screening pulmonary function tests.
• Assists cardiac arrest team, when needed, by supplying oxygen, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation or artificial respiration or securing and maintaining respiration equipment.
• Reads patients' charts and checks transcribed orders against those of the physician.
• May check and review work of others, may train others as assigned.

Licenses/Certificates: Possession of a valid Respiratory Care Practitioner license issued by the State of California Respiratory Care Board.

Current principles, methods, and techniques of respiratory therapy; chemistry of gases used in respiratory therapy and their effect on the human body; care and operation of equipment used in respiratory therapy.

Administer a variety of skilled respiratory therapy treatments; maintain and perform minor repairs to respiratory therapy equipment and to adjust it to individual patient needs; keep records and prepare reports; follow oral and written instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, physicians co-workers and others; train and lead others.

Mobility-Frequent operation of a keyboard, standing for long periods of time, walking, pushing/pulling and bending/squatting; occasional sitting for long periods of time, operating heavy equipment, running and stair climbing; Lifting-Frequent lifting of 5 to 30 lbs.; occasional lifting of 30 to 70 lbs., and restraining, lifting/turning heavy objects or people; Visual-Constant use of overall vision, color perception, eye/hand coordination and depth perception; frequent reading/close up work and field of vision/peripheral; Dexterity-Frequent holding, reaching, grasping, repetitive motion and writing; Hearing/Talking-Frequent hearing of normal speech, hearing on the telephone/radio, talking in person and talking on the telephone; Emotional/Psychological-Constant public contact and concentration; frequent exposure to emergency situations, trauma, grief or death, decision making and working weekends/nights; occasional exposure to hazardous materials, working alone and overtime/travel; Environmental Conditions-Frequent exposure to noise; occasional exposure to dirt, dust, smoke, fumes, poor ventilation, indoor cold/heat and hazardous materials.         

Employees hired into this classification are members of a bargaining unit which is represented by SEIU Local 1021. 

Health Insurance:  San Joaquin County provides employees with a choice of three health plans:  a Kaiser Plan, a Select Plan, and a Premier Plan.  Employees pay a portion of the cost of the premium. Dependent coverage is also available. 

Dental Insurance:  The County provides employees with a choice of two dental plans:  Delta Dental and United Health Care-Select Managed Care Direct Compensation Plan.  There is no cost for employee only coverage in either plan; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

Vision Insurance:  The County provides vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP).  There is no cost for employee only coverage; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

For more detailed information on the County’s benefits program, visit our website at www.sjgov.org under Human Resources/Employee Benefits. 

Life Insurance:  The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows: 

 1 but less than 3 years of continuous service:                   $1,000
 3 but less than 5 years of continuous service:                   $3,000
 5 but less than 10 years of continuous service:                 $5,000
10 years of continuous service or more:                           $10,000 

Employee may purchase additional term life insurance at the group rate.

125 Flexible Benefits Plan:  This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2550 annual limit with a $500 carry over); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5000 annual limit). 

Retirement Plan:  Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Law of 1937.  Please visit the San Joaquin County Employees’ Retirement Association (SJCERA) at www.sjcera.org for more information.  NOTE:  If you are receiving a retirement allowance from another California county covered by the County Employees’ Retirement Act of 1937 or from any governmental agency covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), you are advised to contact the Retirement Officer of the Retirement Plan from which you retired to determine what effect employment in San Joaquin County would have on your retirement allowance.

Deferred Compensation:  The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code. You may annually contribute $18,000 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less.  Individuals age 50 or older may contribute to their plan, up to $24,000. The Roth IRA (after tax) is also now available.

Vacation:  Maximum earned vacation is 10 days each year up to 3 years; 15 days after 3 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.

Holidays:  Effective July 1, 2017, all civil service status employees earn 14 paid holidays each year.  Please see the appopriate MOU for details regarding holidays, accruals, use, and cashability of accrued time.

Sick Leave:  12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation.  Sick leave incentive:  An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one- half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue.  The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.

Bereavement Leave:  3 days of paid leave for the death of qualifying family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Merit Salary Increase:  New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range.  After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range, they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step.

Job Sharing:  Employees may agree to job-share a position, subject to approval by a Department Head and the Director of Human Resources.

Educational Reimbursement Program:  Eligible employees may be reimbursed for career-related course work up to a maximum of $850 per fiscal year.  Eligible employees enrolled in an approved four (4) year College or University academic program may be reimbursed up to $800 per semester for a maximum of $1600 per fiscal year.

Parking Supplemental Downtown Stockton:  The County contributes up to $20 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.

School Activities:  Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.