JobsAdvocate Health

Graduate Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Libertyville, IL

Posted Sep 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time in clinical rotations when a patient's status changed suddenly. What did you notice first and what did you do?

pattern recognition and calm decision-making under pressure before full licensure kicks in

Tell me about a piece of respiratory equipment you had trouble troubleshooting. What did you do to figure it out?

hands-on equipment competence and resourcefulness rather than panic

Describe a time you had to teach a patient or family member something technical about their own care, like a disease management routine or self-care technique.

patient education ability required by the job description's teaching duties

What does a near miss look like to you, and can you give an example of a time you caught one or would have reported one?

genuine buy-in to safety culture versus reciting the policy language

This unit works every other weekend and holiday rotation on nights. How are you thinking about that schedule for your life outside work?

realistic commitment to the actual shift pattern rather than surprise later

Tell me about a time you had to juggle several tasks at once with constant interruptions. How did you keep track of what mattered most?

time management and prioritization in a high-interruption clinical environment

Technical

Walk me through how you'd set up and manage a ventilator for a critically ill adult patient versus a neonate in the NICU. What changes and what stays the same?

whether the candidate actually understands the different physiology and equipment settings across the two populations named in this posting

What age-specific considerations would change how you assess and treat a two-month-old versus an eighty-year-old patient in respiratory distress?

grasp of lifespan development principles the job description calls out explicitly

Situational

You're covering both adult critical care and the NICU on a night shift and get called to two things at once. How do you decide where to go first?

triage judgment and willingness to escalate or ask for help rather than guess

What's your plan for getting your CRT within the 45-day window, and what about ACLS, PALS, NRP, and the other certifications listed here?

organization and realistic follow-through on a heavy credentialing load tied to this specific role

A physician orders a patient-driven respiratory protocol but you think the patient isn't ready to step down. What do you do?

comfort advocating for a patient within a chain of command as a new grad

How would you explain to a scared parent why their baby needs to be on a ventilator?

communication skill with families under emotional stress, specific to the NICU population this unit serves

You disagree with a more senior RT or a physician about the right course of respiratory care for a patient. How do you handle that conversation?

conflict resolution skills and respect for hierarchy without abandoning clinical judgment

As a new grad working under a licensed RT's guidance, how do you know when something is within your scope to handle alone and when you need to bring someone in?

self-awareness about limits and safety, critical for someone this early in practice

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 36 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Pay Range: $35.50 - $53.25 ***$20K Sign-On Bonus*** Loan Forgiveness up to $20K! Tuition Reimbursement up to 20k! Relocation Bonus Up to $5k Grow Your Career, Earn More:   Through our Clinical Ladder Program, eligible Respiratory Therapists can advance their careers and earn up to   $6,000 in additional yearly bonus opportunities. Location:  Advocate Condell Medical Center – Libertyville, IL Schedule:  Full-time | 36 hrs/week | Night Shift | Adult Care and NICU | Every other weekend & holiday rotation   Recent New Grads and Upcoming December New Grads Welcome to Apply! Major Responsibilities: • Responsible for providing and coordinating comprehensive respiratory care The Respiratory therapist administers respiratory care procedures and modalities in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures. Using evidence-based practices, clinical decision making, and skilled communication, the therapist compassionately leads efforts to creates the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum, under the guidance of a licensed respiratory therapist in designated areas per site discretion. • Operates specialized ventilators in critical and non-critical care venues. Assists physician with bedside or other procedures as applicable to facility. • Provides medication treatments and therapies per physician order and/or patient driven respiratory protocols (PDRP's) as prescribed. • Cleans, maintains and ensures proper functionality of equipment. Can troubleshoot equipment as necessary and identifies the need for service and/or repair. • Educates and instructs patients in purpose, technique, self-care, goal of therapy, and disease management. • Facilitates clinical problem solving and collaborates with other departments to provide education on managing patients. • Under physician direction, the respiratory therapist must be able to adapt and comply to policies and procedures for a variety of different service areas, perform tasks and/or special duties as required by assignment and maintain performance standards and organizational behaviors. • Promotes a culture of safety by recognizing and applying proper safety measures to prevent patient harm. Reports patient safety events and near misses in a timely manner. Seeks to identify potential safety issues and assists in the implementation of corrective actions. • Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards. Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Respiratory Therapist certification (CRT) issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) needs to be obtained within 45 days, and • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA), and • Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification (ACLS) issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 0 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 0 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and • Adult Critical Care Specialist (ACCS) certification issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) needs to be obtained within 0 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) needs to be obtained within 0 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and • Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Specialist (NPS) issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) needs to be obtained within 0 months unless department leader has determined it is not required. Education Required: • Associate's Degree in Respiratory Therapy. Experience Required: • No experience required. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Demonstrates effective communication, feedback, and conflict resolution skills. • Effective organizational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. • Problem solving and decision making for patient care and equipment use. • Proficient computer skills, use of electronic mail and electronic medical record systems. • Excellent communication (written and verbal), listening and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrates human relation skills with the ability to develop rapport and maintain positive, professional relationships with a variety of patients, team members, and physicians. Ability to take initiative and work collaboratively with others. • Demonstrates time management skills with an ability to multi-task and prioritize in an environment with frequent interruptions. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. • Must be able to lift 50 lb object from knee to waist. • Must be able to lift 50 lb from floor to waist height occasionally. • Must be able to lift 40 lb at waist height and carry it across various distances. • Must be able to lift 20 lb from waist to overhead. • Must be able to push/pull while utilizing 30# of force occasionally for long distances. • Must demonstrate stand-pivot transfer from bed to chair. • Must perform sliding transfer of 150 lbs person on a sheet across 2 feet with a second person. • Must utilize safe body mechanics at all times. • This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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