Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist Job in Murfreesboro, TN

Vacancy No. CBTG-12767546-25-AZ Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $88,621.00 to $115,213.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/18/2025 Close Date 7/27/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Murfreesboro, TN


Summary

Lead RRTs assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, assess the status, quality and progress of work and make day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. They provide clinical practice guidance for other respiratory staff and assist with technical work problems not covered by precedents or established policies for non-routine or complex procedures. They assist RRTs in determining treatment options for complex patients, among other duties.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Duties

Duties include but are not inclusive of:

a. Incumbent will have a great deal of independence in the performance of their duties. They will be the charge person in the absence of the Chief or Assistant Chief and will have full responsibility to modify the workload to accomplish the assigned duties.
b. Incumbent will collect, review and evaluate relevant clinical data from the medical records, care team, patient and patient's family to ensure appropriate care when indicated.
c. Incumbent will be capable of performing both basic and complex therapeutic procedures for adults and geriatric patients. Example; monitoring patients receiving mechanical ventilation, assisting with bronchoscopy, using techniques that include interpretation of clinical data, describing and interpreting arterial blood gas values and acid base balance.
d. Incumbent will apply clinical expertise in such a manner as to upgrade patient care where indicated and assist the provider in formulating an appropriate respiratory care plan based upon patient assessment, history, lung auscultation, chest x-ray, pulse oximetry, etc.
e. Incumbent will communicate changes in the respiratory care plan and/or patient status to other health care team members as appropriate. Additionally, the incumbent will make recommendations to providers regarding changes in treatment based upon patient observation and diagnostic test values.
f. Incumbent will provide effective and relevant education to the patient, family, students, and facility staff when appropriate.
g. Incumbent will perform both fundamental and advanced diagnostic procedures.
h. Incumbent will perform both emergency and acute Respiratory Care procedures in accordance with departmental guidelines and industry standards.
i. Incumbent will actively participate in departmental quality assurance and hospital organizational performance improvement. The Therapist will comply with all medical center policies and procedures regarding safety practices. The Therapist will demonstrate working knowledge of the appropriate safety protocols.
j. Incumbent will maintain clinical and professional competency based upon established standards of practice.
k. Incumbent assembles, checks, and corrects malfunctions and performs quality controls on respiratory care equipment.
l. Incumbent will participate in in-service education pertaining to respiratory therapy, maintaining a close relationship with other disciplines and students who may rotate through the health care facility.
m. Incumbent will assign individual assignments based on patient acuity and staffing levels. Lead will be available to cover areas when needed and as indicated.
n. Incumbent may be assigned a workload, however at a lesser amount than other assigned staff.
o. Incumbent will be responsible to perform chart audits, monthly documentation submission and perform In-service education as necessary.
p. Incumbent will have the capability to assign duties and responsibilities to staff. They will provide coverage in those areas that require continuous respiratory presence (SICU, MICU, etc.) when the assigned staff are on breaks or lunch or must leave for any reason.
q. Incumbent will help monitor supplies within the department and orders supplies as needed. They will utilize VA systems to request repair and replacement of equipment through Information technology and Biomedical departments to ensure proper and timely replacement of supplies and/or repair of broken equipment and devices.

The Lead, Registered Respiratory Therapist is under the technical and administrative supervision of the Chief, Respiratory Care Services, the Medical Direction of the Chief of the Pulmonary/Critical Care and the administrative supervision of the Chief, Specialty Care Services. They review completed work for results achieved and for conformance to department policies and requirements. At this level the supervisor places considerable reliance on the Lead, Registered Respiratory Therapists knowledge of complex procedures, and completed work is evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness and conformity to policy.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0730-1630

Functional Statement #:7104-F

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • You may be required to serve a trial period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
To qualify for appointment as an RRT, all applicants must possess the following:

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3,section A, paragraph 3g, of this part. See 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a) for more information.
b. Education. Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor.
c. Licensure. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT.
d. Credential. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT.
e. English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all hybrid title 38 qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education, credential or certification requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education, credential or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure, certification or registration, may be reassigned, promoted or demoted within the occupation.
(2) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure, certification or registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(3) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure, certification or registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure, certification or registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher- grade levels.
(4) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure, certification or registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(6) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation or employment with the VA, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation and/or VA.

Grade Determinations: Registered Respiratory Therapist, GS-12.

Experience, Licensure and Credential. Candidates must have:
i. Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.
  1. Ability to collaboratively consult with physicians and other healthcare professionals for complex respiratory care to develop care plans to provide favorable patient outcomes.
  2. Skill in evaluating the efficacies of therapeutic modalities.
  3. Skill in performing advanced airway and ventilation management and Hold an active license and RRT credential.
In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.
  1. Ability to assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
  2. Ability to oversee and direct clinical guidance in a manner that assures completion of the workload.
  3. Ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds to solve problems and provide conflict resolution.
  4. Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions.
  5. Ability to recommend ways to improve patient care and operations through independent research and evaluation of new equipment and therapies
RRTs at this grade level in this assignment have experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across many areas of respiratory care both inpatient and outpatient.

Preferred Experience:
  1. Individuals should have at least 2 + years experience as a registered respiratory therapist with leadership experience preferred. Management, organizational skills, supervising, and multi tasking skills beneficial for this position.
  2. Hold an active license and RRT credential. The following certifications are desirable but not required: a. CPFT, b. RPFT or c. RPSGT
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. This is mostly and administrative position. Little to no lifting. Must be able to tolerate desk-work.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • License
  • Copy of credential of RRT by the NBRC.
  • Resume


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

  • Cover Letter
  • License
  • Copy of credential of RRT by the NBRC.
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/27/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12767546.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Arti Zepeda
Address
Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville
1310 24th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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