Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 11, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time you had to troubleshoot a piece of equipment in the middle of patient care. What did you do and what happened?
What they are checking: real hands-on equipment competence and whether they stay calm and methodical under pressure
Tell me about a patient you had to educate on a therapy they were resistant to, maybe something like a new inhaler routine or oxygen use at home. How did you get them on board?
What they are checking: patient education skill and ability to adapt communication to different levels of understanding and motivation
Describe a time you disagreed with a physician's order or a colleague's approach to a patient. What did you do?
What they are checking: conflict resolution skill and whether they can advocate for patient safety without becoming combative or passive
Tell me about a time you caught a safety issue before it became a real problem, maybe a near miss with equipment or a medication.
What they are checking: proactive safety mindset and whether they actually report and follow through rather than letting it slide
Have you precepted a new hire or student before? What did you focus on teaching them first, and why that?
What they are checking: teaching ability and what they consider foundational, which reveals their own clinical priorities
What would you do
Say you're on a night shift and a patient on a vent starts desatting fast. You suspect it's the tube, not the patient. Talk me through what you check first and in what order.
What they are checking: clinical prioritization and whether they have a systematic troubleshooting sequence versus panicking or guessing
How do you decide when to escalate a patient's status to the physician versus handling it yourself under existing protocols?
What they are checking: judgment about scope of practice and comfort acting independently within protocol-driven care
You're covering multiple units on nights and get called to two things at once, a rapid response and a routine treatment that's overdue. How do you handle it?
What they are checking: prioritization and time management under the interruption-heavy, multi-unit conditions this role actually involves
A patient's family is anxious and keeps interrupting your treatment schedule with questions in the middle of the night. How do you manage that while still getting your rounds done?
What they are checking: ability to balance compassion and communication against the practical demands of covering an assigned patient load
About the work
Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who's just been put on mechanical ventilation. What data are you pulling together before you make a change to the vent settings?
What they are checking: whether the candidate can integrate blood gases, hemodynamics, and diagnostics into a coherent clinical picture rather than reacting to one number
What's your experience with age-specific care, say treating a pediatric patient versus a geriatric one on the same shift? What actually changes in your approach?
What they are checking: whether they genuinely adjust technique and communication across the lifespan rather than giving lip service to it
What's your experience with the electronic medical record and documenting respiratory treatments? Any specific systems you've worked in?
What they are checking: basic technical readiness and how much ramp-up time they'll need on Advocate's systems
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As published by Advocate Health.