JobsAdvocate Health

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Marinette, WI

Posted Sep 10, 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 you had to make a call on a ventilator setting or treatment without a physician immediately available to consult.

comfort with autonomous decision-making, which matters at a smaller community hospital without in-house intensivist coverage overnight

Describe a time you had to teach a patient or family member something about their disease or self-care and it wasn't landing. What did you change?

patient education skill and adaptability when a standard explanation isn't working

Tell me about a time you caught an equipment problem before it became a patient safety issue.

vigilance and follow-through on equipment checks, tied directly to the job's safety-reporting expectations

You've precepted students or new hires before, or if not, imagine you're training someone new to nights. What's the first thing you make sure they understand before you let them touch a vent alone?

teaching instinct and judgment about what actually matters for patient safety versus procedural trivia

Technical

Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who's just been intubated and put on a ventilator. What data are you pulling together before you settle on your settings?

whether the candidate can integrate blood gases, hemodynamics, chest imaging, and labs into one coherent clinical picture rather than working from a single number

How do you interpret a blood gas that doesn't match what you're seeing clinically at the bedside?

depth of understanding beyond memorized normal ranges, and whether they trust the patient over the number when the two conflict

How do you give a handoff report when the next therapist is going to be managing a patient you've had all night on complex settings?

clarity and completeness of communication, since incomplete handoffs are a known source of error in respiratory care

This role covers a wide age range, from pediatric to geriatric patients. How do you adjust your approach to assessment or treatment depending on who's in front of you?

whether they genuinely tailor care to age-specific physiology rather than applying one protocol to everyone

Situational

You're on a night shift and a ventilator alarms with high pressure on a patient who was stable ten minutes ago. What's your first move?

systematic troubleshooting under pressure and whether they rule out the most dangerous causes first, like a mucus plug or pneumothorax, before anything else

This unit runs every third weekend, night shift, with call. What does a stretch of consecutive twelve-hour nights actually look like for you in terms of staying sharp by hour eleven?

realistic self-awareness about fatigue management on a demanding schedule, not just a willing agreement to the hours

A physician gives you a verbal order you're not comfortable with because it doesn't match the patient's current status. What do you do in that moment?

willingness to advocate for the patient and communicate up the chain without being combative or passive

Tell me about a shift where two patients needed you at the same time. How did you decide who came first?

triage judgment and time management in an environment with frequent interruptions, as the posting describes

There's a sliding transfer task in this job, moving a 150-pound patient across a bed with a second person, plus regular lifting up to 50 pounds. Any concerns about the physical demands of the role as described?

honest self-assessment against the stated physical requirements before it becomes an issue on the floor

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 36402 AMC BayArea - Respiratory Therapy Services Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 36 Schedule Details/Additional Information: 12hr night shifts, every third weekend, holiday rotation, call required. Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60 $10,000 Sign On Bonus Loan Forgiveness : Up to $21,000 Tuition Assistance : Up to $21,000 Location : Aurora Bay Area Medical Center - Marinette, WI Schedule : 0.9 FTE, Night Shift Pay : $33.05 - $49.60/hour 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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