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Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · West Allis, WI · $33.05–$49.60 an hour

Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 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.

About your past

Tell me about a time you had to manage a ventilated patient in a critical care setting while also covering other duties. How did you prioritize?

What they are checking: time management and multitasking ability during a night shift with frequent interruptions

Describe a situation where you caught a piece of equipment malfunctioning before it caused harm. What tipped you off and what did you do next?

What they are checking: vigilance around equipment troubleshooting and proactive safety reporting

Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician's order or a respiratory protocol decision. What did you do?

What they are checking: comfort raising clinical concerns respectfully while staying within scope

Tell me about a time you had to precept or teach a new team member or student. What was hard about it and how did you handle it?

What they are checking: willingness and ability to mentor others, which is an explicit job duty

Describe a moment when a near-miss happened on your unit, even if no one was harmed. How did you report it and what changed afterward?

What they are checking: honesty and follow-through around a culture of safety and incident reporting

What would you do

A patient's blood gas comes back and it doesn't match what you're seeing on the monitor or in their chest X-ray. What do you do?

What they are checking: ability to synthesize multiple diagnostic data sources and catch inconsistencies rather than trusting one number

How would you explain a new inhaler technique or a home oxygen setup to a patient who's anxious and not really absorbing what you're saying?

What they are checking: patient education skill and ability to adjust communication for comprehension and stress

You're handing off a patient at shift change and the incoming therapist seems rushed and distracted. How do you make sure the handoff is actually complete?

What they are checking: commitment to thorough, accurate handoffs despite time pressure

A physical transfer requires two people, and your usual second person isn't available right now. What do you do?

What they are checking: judgment around safe body mechanics and refusing to cut corners on physical safety protocols

How do you keep yourself organized when you're bouncing between multiple patients with different levels of acuity across a 12-hour night shift?

What they are checking: practical strategy for prioritization under sustained interruption and fatigue

About the work

Walk me through how you would assess a patient who's on the ventilator and starts showing signs of distress overnight, when the physician isn't right there at the bedside.

What they are checking: whether the candidate can independently triage a deteriorating patient using clinical data before escalating

What's your experience with specialized ventilators in both critical and non-critical settings, and how do you decide on initial settings for a new patient?

What they are checking: depth of hands-on ventilator management knowledge across different acuity levels

How do you approach caring for a pediatric patient versus an elderly patient with a similar respiratory issue?

What they are checking: understanding of age-specific care principles across the lifespan

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 36402 Aurora West Allis Medical Center - Respiratory Therapy Services Status: Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 36 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Nights, 0.9 FTE Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60 Sign on Bonus: $12,500 Loan Forgiveness: Up to $21,000 Tuition Assistance: Up to $21,000 Primary Location : Aurora Medical Center - West Allis Pay Range : $33.05 - $49.60/hour Schedule : 0.9 FTE, Nights Clinical Ladder Program – up to $6,000 in additional yearly bonus potential 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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