Coordinator, Pediatric Respiratory Care

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Organization:

Peds Respiratory Care

Job Summary:

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is seeking an experienced Pediatric Respiratory Therapist to serve as the Coordinator, Pediatric Respiratory Care, with a specialized focus on tracheostomy and home ventilator patients transitioning from the hospital to home. This unique role combines direct clinical care, family education, discharge readiness coordination, outpatient support, and program development to create a seamless experience for medically complex children and their caregivers.

The RT Coordinator serves as the respiratory care expert across the continuum of care, partnering with inpatient teams, outpatient clinics, families, durable medical equipment (DME) providers, and community resources to ensure patients are safely prepared for discharge and long-term success at home. This individual will lead respiratory discharge planning efforts, coordinate caregiver competency validation, support home ventilator and tracheostomy education programs, and assist in developing standardized workflows, educational resources, and quality improvement initiatives for the growing pediatric respiratory transition program.

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Key Responsibilities

Respiratory Discharge Readiness & Care Transition Leadership

• Serve as the respiratory care lead for pediatric patients anticipated to discharge with tracheostomy and/or ventilator support.
• Participate in pre-tracheostomy planning meetings, multidisciplinary discharge rounds, Blue Team meetings, and transition-of-care discussions.
• Identify respiratory barriers to discharge and facilitate solutions in collaboration with providers, nursing, care coordination, case management, and families.
• Develop and monitor respiratory discharge milestones and readiness indicators.
• Support discharge huddles and care planning for patients with complex respiratory needs.
• Collaborate with outpatient providers to ensure continuity of care following discharge.

Family Education & Competency Validation

• Coordinate and provide tracheostomy and home ventilator education for patients' families and caregivers.
• Develop, implement, and maintain caregiver respiratory competency tracking processes.
• Monitor completion of required respiratory education and skills validation.
• Document caregiver competency milestones and communicate progress to the multidisciplinary team.
• Escalate concerns regarding education delays or barriers that may impact discharge readiness.
• Promote consistency in respiratory education across inpatient units and care teams.

Respiratory Equipment & DME Coordination

• Serve as the primary respiratory equipment resource for tracheostomy and home ventilator patients.
• Partner with respiratory DME vendors to coordinate equipment acquisition, setup, and training.
• Ensure home ventilator and respiratory equipment readiness prior to discharge.
• Participate in respiratory equipment check-off processes and family home equipment training.
• Troubleshoot equipment-related barriers that may delay discharge or impact patient safety.

Outpatient Clinic Support

• Support pediatric home ventilator and complex respiratory clinics.
• Serve as a resource for respiratory questions from patients, caregivers, and clinic staff.
• Assist with post-discharge follow-up and transition support.
• Collaborate with outpatient providers to identify ongoing respiratory education and equipment needs.

Program Development & Quality Improvement

• Develop respiratory discharge readiness tools, standardized workflows, and best-practice processes.
• Create educational materials and resources for families and staff.
• Build and maintain respiratory equipment and caregiver competency tracking systems.
• Evaluate current processes, identify gaps in care transitions, and recommend program enhancements.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives focused on discharge efficiency, family preparedness, patient safety, and reduction of respiratory-related readmissions.
• Support the long-term growth and sustainability of the pediatric respiratory transition program.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be an experienced pediatric respiratory therapist who demonstrates:

• Expertise in pediatric tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation management.
• Strong understanding of discharge planning and transitions of care for medically complex children.
• Experience providing caregiver education and competency validation.
• Ability to work collaboratively across inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Strong organizational, communication, and program-development skills.
• Passion for improving family preparedness and outcomes for children requiring long-term respiratory support.

This is an exciting opportunity to help build and lead a specialized pediatric respiratory transition program that directly impacts the safety, confidence, and success of children and families moving from hospital to home.

Preferred years of experience is greater than 5 years.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Respiratory Therapeutic Procedures (Advanced): Demonstrates the uppermost levels of expertise in applying respiratory therapeutic procedures in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve results. Consistently delivers respiratory therapeutic procedures in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Actively participates in outside professional organizations and forums. Contributes in the development of respiratory therapeutic procedures best practices for the organization.
• Ventilator Management (Advanced): Demonstrates the uppermost levels of expertise in applying ventilator management in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve results. Consistently delivers ventilator management services in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Actively participates in outside professional organizations and forums. Contributes to the development of ventilator management best practices for the organization.
• Laboratory Testing & Analysis (Advanced): Demonstrates the ability to apply knowledge of laboratory tests to diverse areas of the department. Demonstrates the uppermost levels of expertise in laboratory testing in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve results. Consistently delivers laboratory tests and analysis in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Contributes in the development of testing and analysis best practices for the organization. Able to converse intelligently with users, customers, and management on the impact of laboratory testing technology and competition on the business itself.

Training & Development (Novice): Has presented course modules as part of a program. Effectively prepared by demonstrating knowledge in course content, structure and objectives, as well as audience characteristics. Demonstrated audience sensitivity and awareness. Responded professionally to content questions.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

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Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Delivers projects/assignments that have a direct impact on goals/objectives of the unit/department that the job is in. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Conducts extensive analysis of situations or data to resolve numerous, complex issues; may involve the input/work of others. Breadth of Knowledge: Has in-depth level of knowledge within a professional area and working knowledge of other areas. Team Interaction: May lead mid-sized projects; coaches and guides team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Service: - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Respiratory Therapist - Tennessee

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education:

Graduate of an approved discipline specific program

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.