Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 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.
Behavioral
Tell me about a time a patient's blood gas results didn't match what you were seeing at the bedside. What did you do?
clinical judgment and whether they trust data over what they expect to see, or vice versa
Tell me about a time you caught a piece of equipment that wasn't functioning right before it caused a problem.
vigilance and follow-through on equipment checks, not just reactive fixes
Tell me about a time you had to hand off a patient to another therapist or shift and something almost got missed. What happened?
quality and discipline of handoff communication, called out directly in the posting
Have you precepted a new grad or a student before? What did you focus on teaching them first?
teaching ability and whether they can transfer judgment, not just tasks, to newer staff
Tell me about a disagreement you had with a physician or another department over a patient's respiratory care plan. How did it get resolved?
conflict resolution skill and whether they can advocate for a patient without damaging working relationships
Technical
Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who just got put on a ventilator in the ICU. What are you checking first and why?
whether the candidate has a real, ordered clinical process rather than a memorized list
How do you decide when a patient-driven respiratory protocol should be adjusted versus when you need to call the physician?
scope-of-practice judgment and comfort making independent clinical calls
What's your experience with hemodynamic values and how you fold them into your respiratory assessment?
depth of understanding of how respiratory status connects to cardiac status, since the role explicitly requires this
What's your plan for getting your RRT credential if you're coming in with a CRT, given the twelve month requirement here?
whether the candidate understands and is prepared for the credentialing timeline the job requires
Situational
Say you're managing a critical care ventilator and it starts alarming with a high pressure alert. Walk me through what you do in the first sixty seconds.
whether troubleshooting is instinctive and safety-first under time pressure
You've got a patient who is scared and resistant to a treatment they need, maybe a new trach or a mask therapy. How do you get them on board?
patient education skill and ability to build trust quickly, not just clinical knowledge
How would you explain a new inhaler technique or a home oxygen setup to a patient who's overwhelmed and just wants to go home?
ability to simplify complex self-care instructions for real patients, not textbook explanations
You notice a near miss, something that could have harmed a patient but didn't. Walk me through what you'd actually do about it, step by step.
whether safety reporting is a real habit or just something they'd say in an interview
This unit works every fourth weekend and rotating holidays on twelve hour shifts. How do you personally manage the fatigue and keep your judgment sharp on hour eleven of a shift?
self-awareness about the physical and cognitive demands of the schedule and realistic coping strategies
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Advocate Health from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.
More respiratory therapist roles
Related jobs
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 3 · Verified Sep 20
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20