JobsAdvocate Health

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 8, 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 a ventilator setting or patient response didn't match what you expected. What did you do?

clinical judgment under uncertainty and willingness to troubleshoot rather than assume the machine or protocol is always right

Tell me about a time you caught a piece of equipment malfunctioning before it caused harm. How did you notice, and what did you do next?

vigilance and follow-through on equipment safety checks in a high-stakes environment

Describe a time you had to teach a patient or family member something about disease management when they were scared, confused, or resistant.

patient education skill and ability to communicate clearly under emotional strain

Tell me about a disagreement you had with a nurse or physician over a patient's respiratory plan. How did it get resolved?

conflict resolution and collaborative communication across disciplines

Tell me about a near-miss or safety event you reported. What made you report it, and what happened after?

honesty and buy-in around a culture of safety reporting rather than covering up errors

Technical

Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who just triggered a rapid response for respiratory distress. What are you looking at first, second, third?

whether the candidate has a systematic, prioritized clinical assessment process rather than a scattershot approach

How do you correlate a blood gas result with what you're physically seeing at the bedside when the two seem to disagree?

depth of understanding of blood gas interpretation versus rote number-reading

Explain how you'd adjust your assessment and communication approach for a pediatric patient versus a geriatric patient in respiratory distress.

understanding of age-specific care principles required across the patient population served

How do you keep your handoff report clear and complete when you're rushed at the end of a busy night shift?

discipline around accurate, concise handoffs that prevent care gaps between shifts

Situational

You're on nights and a patient on a protocol-driven weaning trial starts desatting fast, but the physician isn't immediately reachable. What do you do?

comfort acting within scope on patient-driven protocols and knowing when to escalate versus act

It's 3 a.m., you have four patients needing treatments at once, and one crashes. Walk me through how you triage that.

prioritization and composure during simultaneous demands typical of night shift staffing

What's your approach to precepting a new grad or student who's making a mistake you need to correct in the moment, in front of the patient?

teaching ability and tact when correcting others without undermining patient confidence

This unit requires weekend and holiday rotations on nights long term. How do you think about sustaining yourself in that schedule?

realistic expectations and staying power for the specific shift commitment, since turnover on night shifts is a known risk

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 36402 Aurora Sinai Medical Center - Respiratory Therapy Services Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 36 Schedule Details/Additional Information: this is a full time night shift position 1830-07 with weekend and holiday requirements Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60 Sign on Bonus $2,500 May be eligible for Loan Forgiveness (up to $21k) Location : Aurora Sinai - Milwaukee, WI Shift/Schedule : 0.9 FTE, Nights Pay Range : $33.05 - $49.60/hour Clinical Ladder Program – up to $6,000 in additional yearly bonus potential We want our teammates and their families to Live Well. Actual compensation offered in the Pay Range (above) will be based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience and/or training and internal equity. To accompany base pay, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including: • Shift differentials for PM, Nights, Weekends (based on job profile) • 401(k) company contribution: 3% of your eligible annual salary AND 401(k) employer match: Dollar for dollar match up to 3% • Opportunity for yearly merit increases within the salary range Major Responsibilities: • Uses Respiratory therapy processes to support assessment of patient utilizing a variety of skills such as pulmonary diagnostics, chest radiograph, hemodynamic values, laboratory values, and correlates blood gases and electrolytes. Can identify and address the special needs of patient population specific to department services. • 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 as prescribed. • Cleans, maintains, and ensures proper functionality of equipment. Troubleshoots 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. • Demonstrates effective communication, feedback, and conflict resolution skills. Provides clear, concise, timely, and accurate patient handoff. • 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. • Teaches, educates, and precepts new teammates, orientees, and students. • 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.   Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license issued by the state in which the team member practices. • Active Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) within 12 months OR active Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential issued by the NBRC if credential received prior to January 1, 2023. • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA). • See Education/Certification Addendum for any additional site-specific requirements.   Education Required: Graduate from an accredited respiratory care program, with a minimum of an associate degree.    Experience Required: No experience required.   Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Effective organizational, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. • Problem solving and decision making for patient care and equipment use. • Proficient computer skills, use of e-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. 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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