JobsAdvocate Health

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

Apply at Advocate Health

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 troubleshoot a piece of equipment that wasn't working right in the middle of patient care. What did you do?

practical equipment competence and whether the candidate stays calm and methodical under time pressure

How do you explain a new inhaler technique or a disease management plan to a patient who's scared or not catching on?

patient education skill and ability to adjust communication style to the person in front of them

Tell me about a time a handoff went badly, either one you gave or one you received. What happened and what did you change afterward?

understanding of what makes a handoff safe and whether they reflect on and correct communication failures

Describe a near miss or safety issue you caught before it became a real problem. How did you report it and what came next?

honesty and initiative around a real safety culture, not just lip service to the concept

Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker or another department about how to manage a patient. How did you resolve it?

conflict resolution skills and ability to collaborate across departments

Technical

Walk me through how you'd assess a patient who just got put on a ventilator in critical care. What are you checking first, and what data are you pulling together?

whether the candidate can integrate blood gases, hemodynamics, and clinical presentation into a coherent assessment rather than working off a checklist

How would you approach caring for a pediatric patient versus a geriatric patient with a similar respiratory issue?

whether they actually apply age-specific care principles rather than treating all patients the same

What's your process for reading and correlating a blood gas result with a chest radiograph and the patient's clinical picture?

depth of diagnostic reasoning versus rote lab interpretation

What does safe body mechanics actually look like to you when you're doing a two-person sliding transfer or lifting a patient from floor to waist height?

awareness of physical safety requirements and whether they take them seriously, not just theoretically

Situational

Say you're covering both critical and non-critical areas on a busy shift and two patients need you at the same time, one on a vent and one needing a treatment. How do you decide what comes first?

prioritization skills in an environment with frequent interruptions, and clinical judgment about acuity

You notice a physician's order for a treatment doesn't match what the patient-driven protocol would call for. What do you do?

comfort with clinical judgment, protocol knowledge, and how they handle disagreement with a physician

You're asked to precept a new orientee who is struggling to keep pace on a hectic day. How do you balance teaching them with getting your own patients cared for?

ability to teach effectively without sacrificing patient care, and mentorship style

This role has you rotating through critical and non-critical venues with every fourth weekend and holidays. What's your experience adapting to different service areas and schedules like that?

flexibility and realistic expectations about the shift structure and scope of the role

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 loud

The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 36402 Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center - Respiratory Therapy Services Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 24 Schedule Details/Additional Information: 0.6 dayshift position, 0630-1900 with every 4th weekend rotation and holidays as assigned Pay Range: $33.05 - $49.60 Sign on Bonus $7,500 Loan Forgiveness: Up to $21,000 Tuition Assistance: Up to $21,000 Location : Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center - Milwaukee, WI Shift/Schedule : 0.6 FTE, Days, 0630-1900, every 4th weekend, and a holiday rotation 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.

Apply at Advocate Health

More respiratory therapist roles

Related jobs

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · West Allis, WI

Posted Sep 3 · Verified Sep 20

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20

Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Advocate Health · Kenosha, WI

Posted Sep 8 · Verified Sep 20