Why did you decide to work in this field?

"Knowing that I was destined to be in a healthcare setting came at a very young age for me. I was heavily influenced by watching my grandmother's care while hospitalized with pneumonia while I was in high school. Seeing the intimate interaction she had with her Respiratory Therapist and watching the progress she made under the RT's care solidified my decision to pursue this as a career choice. I'm looking to get some great years of experience under my belt in a hospital setting for my future down the road in this field. From there, I'm keeping an open mind to potentially pursuing a leadership role or potentially even furthering my education to a nurse practitioner level provider."

Respiratory Therapy is a growing field because of the increased need for practitioners who can treat the pulmonary issues that the population faces every day. You might have learned about it through an anatomy class or through a friend who works in the healthcare field. If you have personal experience, explain how it influenced your motivation. If you have plans to pursue something different in the future, talk about how this role will help you get there. This is a great opportunity to share your passion and talk about your career goals.

"Ultimately, my decision to pursue a career as a Respiratory Therapist was sealed during my senior year of high school where I did a one-month shadowing experience in our local hospital. Personally, I knew the RT that I observed from being a youth athletic coach, and I got to see firsthand how he had the chance to help various patients throughout his day. In my eight years in the field, I have loved the blend of patient care, teamwork, and technology that this job blends, and I look forward to many more years of it as well."

"As a teenager, I was hospitalized after a severe car accident along with my father. Having had traumatic injuries to my chest, my hospital stay was almost two weeks long. Looking back, I remember being enamored with all of the equipment in the hospital room, and I was fascinated by how the technology was used to help heal me back to my same state before the accident. As I looked for potential careers to study heading into college, I took my fascination for the technology in the field to blend it with great patient care to pursue this field as an RT."

How do work as part of a larger team and what role do you find yourself being comfortable with?

"If hired, you'll quickly find that I am a great team player. I know that there are many people involved in each patient's care, and each person plays a unique and vital role in their care. Because our roles are all unique, communication is important in our teamwork, and I am a great communicator in both oral and the written word. I can work closely with any member of the team and put a priority on communicating things promptly."

No matter the setting that a respiratory therapist works in, they work as part of a larger care team for their patients. Your interviewer will be looking for you to demonstrate that you are a team player who always has the patient's needs as your top priority. Talk about the different roles within the healthcare setting that you have worked with closely. Let the interviewer know that you are both able to take direction from others with ease and delegate and communicate when needed.

"In my current role, I feel very fortunate in the fact that I get to work with many different people in the care of my patients. On the hospital floors, I work very closely with the nursing staff, where I have to communicate with the nurses on the status of patients. I can take direction from them on specific needs of patients, and I'm able to educate and delegate specific needs to them of our patients. I work closely with the physicians that see the patients as well. I need to keep them updated on my time spent with each patient as it is critical in their care for the patient."

"During my career as a Respiratory Therapist, I've been able to adapt to the teams that I'm working with. I can take direction with ease and work under my nurses and physicians that I work closely with. I am also a natural leader with an ability to teach and lead my fellow team of respiratory therapists on our team. In recent years, I have been the lead in training new therapists on our team, and I absolutely love helping pave the way for new folks in our field."

What respiratory equipment do you have familiarity working with?

"During my clinical rotations, I feel very fortunate to have had hands-on experience working on CPAP machines, BIPAP machines, oxygen cylinders, and nebulizers. Part of my love for entering this field was my aptitude with mechanical equipment, and I look forward to learning more about the types of equipment to help patients."

As a Respiratory Therapist, you have familiarity working with many different pieces of equipment. Your interviewer will be looking to hear specifically what you have hands-on experience working with. Talk about those items you are familiar with and stress your ability to learn new things with ease. You don't have to get wrapped up in the specific manufacturers of the equipment you have worked with. If you haven't worked on a particular machine that your new employer uses, your interviewer will be left at ease knowing you are willing and able to learn something new.

"In my current position, I work with a wide array of equipment with patients in an intensive care setting. I regularly work with oxygen monitors, suction machines, heated humidifiers, and nebulizers with my patients in this setting. Whenever I am working with a new machine, I take the time to train and get to learn the machine before using the machine on a patient. I can pick up on new things very easily when they come my way."

"In my current position, I work in an NICU, and the equipment I work with is very specialized to the patients that I work with. Almost every day, I intubate the babies that I work with and perform neonatal resuscitation. Our ventilators are customized for premature babies, and I also have experience working on mobile equipment when I accompany patients on transports. With my experience on this equipment, you'll find that I'm able to train with ease on new equipment."

Talk about a time that you had to handle an emergency situation with a patient. How did you handle that situation and what role did you play if a larger team was involved?

"During my clinical rotation in a busy ICU, we had a patient that flatlined, and my preceptor was occupied in another patient's room. I immediately hit the emergency call button and began performing CPR on the patient. At that point, my instincts took over. Within moments, a team was called into the room to begin resuscitation of the patient, and it was successful. That month, I received recognition at the ICU all-staff meeting for my immediate action."

The ability to breathe is critical to life as a human being, and RT's are often relied upon in emergencies with patients. If possible, talk about a particular emergency where you worked on a patient. Your interviewer will be looking for your ability to remain calm, cool, and collected in a pressure situation where you stay focused on the task at hand. If a team effort was involved, talk about the role you played in that setting.

"Where I currently work, our hospital is a level one trauma center, and our emergency department sees a large number of critically injured patients that come via ambulance and helicopter. I am part of our trauma team that gets called for arrival, and I recently was called as part of our trauma team for a patient that had been in an auto accident. Knowing that the patient could potentially have severe chest damage, I prepared intubation and got to work right away when the patient arrived in the trauma room. To enable the rest of the team to treat the patient, it was my duty to intubate the patient first. By preparing ahead of time and staying focused on my goal, I cannot get distracted by the many other healthcare professionals scrambling around the room preparing for their procedures."

"For many years, I have been working in a home care setting with individuals that need our services. Last winter, I had regular visits with an older adult diagnosed with COPD and received oxygen therapy to help him breathe. The man lived in a very remote area, and when I arrived for our visit on a Friday afternoon, I realized that he was down to his last tank of oxygen. Knowing that the tank wouldn't last him through the weekend, I immediately made a phone call to our home office to see if a tank was available. Finding out that there was, I made the hour-long trip back to our office and returned one to the patient that evening. To help prevent this from happening again, I had a conversation with the primary caregiver for the man to ensure that one or two backup tanks were always on hand for him."

How do you keep yourself up to date on advancements in our field?

"Coming out of my schooling, I feel that I have a very good knowledge base of the equipment and techniques used in the field. But with that said, I know that the field will continue to evolve as time goes on. I am currently a member of the AARC and I also receive the monthly Respiratory Care journal. The group and publication are great about talking about new advancements in the field."

As a Respiratory Therapist, staying up to date on the changes in technology and practice in the field is important. Your interviewer will be looking for ways that you stay current with these changes. Talk about the significance that continuing education has played or will play in your career. If you subscribe to any publications or belong to any organizations, talk about those as well.

"In my eight years in the field, a lot has changed in that short period of time. I love the fact that I am required to attend CME courses or events, as these have helped keep me up to speed on new advancements in RT. Recently, I took a course on non-invasive ventilation and learned new techniques and equipment for better helping the patients that I work with."

"Personally, I have always prided myself with being a continuous learner in this field, and I wouldn't be where I am today without doing so. I have been an active member of the AARC for many years and enjoy reading their publication regularly. I also regularly attend CME courses to help better myself as an RT and learn about new things in the field. Also, I like to learn as much as I can from the physicians that I work closely with on new technologies in the field."

What is the importance of the role of a Respiratory Therapist in infection control?

"During my clinical rotations, I quickly learned that proper cleaning of equipment is not only necessary by policies, but also helps in negating the spread of disease throughout healthcare facilities. In this job, keeping myself and the equipment I use clean will be a top priority of mine to ensure that the patients in the hospital are not put at risk."

Working as a Respiratory Therapist, you play a large role in helping infection prevention through the hospital, clinic, or home settings that you work in. Talk about the steps you take to ensure that all equipment you use is properly sterilized and how you keep yourself infection-free throughout the workday to keep your patients safe. If you have had any formal training on infection control with your previous employer, talk about that as well.

"Every year, my current employer does infection prevention training for all staff. Due to all of the research into infection prevention and control, I learn new things every year during training. During my workdays, I have to ensure that all equipment that I use is properly cleaned and sterilized for use on the next patient. With all the mechanical equipment that I use, I have step-by-step cleaning procedures, and I take great pride in completing these steps each time I use the equipment. That, along with proper hand hygiene, helps ensure that my patients in the hospital are as safe as can be from further infection."

"During my career, the thought and policies around infection control in the healthcare setting have changed greatly. I take great pride in knowing that I keep myself as protected as possible and, in turn, my patients are kept as safe as possible. With my equipment, I am trained on how to properly sterilize the equipment after each use and I fully understand the importance of doing this each and every time the equipment is used."

Talk about the importance of patient documentation and the documentation systems you have familiarity working with.

"I know that both legally and for the proper care of a patient, documentation is of critical importance, and doing so promptly is equally important. During my clinical experience, I had a little bit of hands-on experience working on an electronic health record system. I am very computer literate, and with a little bit of training, I will be comfortable working on any system."

Patient documentation has always been important whether you are a new Respiratory Therapist or have a worked a lengthy career in the field. How the documentation has been performed has changed greatly though. Most likely, your interviewer will be looking for you to have experience working on some type of electronic documentation system and what system(s) you have familiarity working with. Expand on this by talking about the importance that timely and accurate documentation plays in the patient's overall well-being.

"In my current job, I have worked on both the EPIC and Cerner EHR systems. While both were unique, I found myself very capable of learning and adapting to a new system. In our world, patient documentation is key as so many other people that work with my patients rely on the information I put into the record to provide further care."

"Through my career, how I've documented on my patients has changed greatly. In the end, though, recording patient interactions accurately and as soon as possible will always remain important. Whether it was back when I was keeping a paper chart or documenting in the Allscripts computer system, I make time to document after seeing each patient to ensure that records are inputted accurately. If I ever get too busy to document right away, I keep handwritten notes and then work as soon as I get the chance before the end of the day."

Have you ever had to work with a difficult colleague? How did you handle that situation?

"During my years in college, I worked in the deli at a large grocery store in town. During most shifts, we worked in a team of three people. One co-worker that I had regularly scheduled shifts with was definitely not pulling his weight on the team. When no customers were at the counter, we had other duties to complete like cleaning and salad and other food preparation. Rather than helping, he would get on his phone and text his friends or play video games. First, I addressed him directly about the issue, and he flat out refused to listen to me. After another shift of this occurring, I took the issue directly to our supervisor, who handled it with the employee. It turns out I wasn't the first employee to bring the issue up to her."

As a Respiratory Therapist, you work with a wide variety of colleagues. From nurses, physicians, administrators, and fellow therapists, you will encounter many people throughout your workday, and working with a difficult person has to come second nature to you. Give a specific example of a time that you had to work with a difficult colleague. Try to highlight how you positively handled the situation. By demonstrating that you can handle conflict with ease, your interviewer will see that you can work with various people, including difficult ones.

"In my current job, one person on my team tends to bring a lot of their issues from outside of work into the workplace. Being such a tight-knit team, at first, I found it very difficult to work with her. As we got to know each other better, I began conversing with her when she was bringing up her home issues and letting them affect her work and our team. I explained that it sounded like being at work should be a good respite for her. And slowly, she became much better to work with and a much more tolerable co-worker."

"The most difficult colleague that I had to work with was a few years back. He joined our team during major transitions where we were implementing a new EMR and were going through an organizational buy out. The difficult part about the new colleague was that he was not receptive to the training program or the ideas that I would try to bring to him to help make him more successful on the job. He brought many years of experience when he joined our team, and over time, I learned that he was bringing a lot of habits from his old job to his new one. My approach to this person was to listen to his thoughts on things and learn why he thought his methods were the right way. By hearing him out, I was able to give my point of view. In the end, he adopted some of my suggestions while holding on to others of his own. I fully understood that these compromises worked out better in the end, and he realized that I was only trying to help him be successful with a new organization."

Talk about a time where you had to work with the family of a particular patient. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome to work effectively with them?

"During my clinical rotations in college, I was fortunate to have worked in a large ICU setting in a hospital. While there, I was working with patients that were critically ill and often unable to speak. With one particular patient who had been admitted to our ICU after an auto accident, my preceptor and I entered the room to start a mechanical ventilator since the patient had a collapsed lung. As the family arrived, they looked for answers to what was happening to their loved one and wanted to know what we were doing to her. Calmly, I let them know that the machine we were using would enable her to breathe while the physicians could monitor the status of the rest of the systems. By staying calm and explaining what was happening, the family was relieved a bit until the physician was able to return and talk to them further."

As a Respiratory Therapist, there will be times that you need to work with or communicate with the family members of a patient. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gauge how you handle interactions with the family or caregivers of your patient. If possible, think about a time when you had to provide education to a patient's family or had to work with a family member or caregiver that was being difficult. Try to explain how you had to overcome any difficulties during the process to demonstrate your ability to problem solve and work with people.

"During my time working as an RT for an in-home care agency, I had to train many patient's family members on how to use and maintain equipment like CPAP machines and ventilators. For one particular patient, I was working with a family that was very low-income and not well educated. Being that the patient was pretty immobile, I trained both the spouse and live-in child to operate the patient's oxygen tanks. In training them, I had to use elementary language and have them show me that they understood the proper procedures to take. As a last measure, I left my contact card for them if they had any issues. In my weekly visits with the patient, the family members were very thankful and seemed to learn the unit quickly."

"Having worked in a hospital setting for many years, I have fortunately been able to speak with many family members of patients that were in my care. For most, they are simply trying to understand what is happening with their family member. I have recently been working in the NICU with premature babies, and the families here are the most vulnerable and scared. On a recent baby I was working with, I could easily tell that the parents were scared and in a state of shock. To help calm them down, I reassured them that the therapy I was providing was helping their child build strength in their lungs to be able to breathe on their own. At that moment, they became enthralled in what I was doing and finally saw that a great outcome was achievable out of a dire situation."

What kind of work environment do you thrive in?

"I am a person that is motivated in the workplace by education and furthering myself as a professional. Being new to the field and looking to land my first job, I want to work for an organization that prides itself on being on the forefront of technology and innovation. I love what I've learned about your organization in regards to this. I am not a person that would thrive in a monotonous, stagnant environment as I truly believe that variety is the spice of life in the workplace."

This question helps the interviewer gauge how you might fit into the work environment and, ultimately, how you will mesh with the team. Explaining your work style and what motivates you will help them better understand that you would be an excellent fit. Your research into the job and organization will be critical so you can know what sort of work environment to expect. You want to describe yourself in terms that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for. This is a very open-ended question, so be sure that your answer points to a trait of yours that makes you stand out from your competition for the job.

"I work well independently, motivated by deadlines and prioritizing tasks to meet them. I also enjoy working in a team environment. I can adapt to working with different personalities, and I enjoy interacting with patients and helping them in their treatment."

"Having worked in the field for many years, I have seen changes come and go in different departments and under different managers. The best environments I have worked in have been those where teamwork and communication are fostered from the organization's top-level down to my team. By working closely and cohesively together, RT's can function better both as a unit and as a part of the greater good when it comes to patient care. I like being able to approach my supervisor with new ideas and having a manager that appreciates and welcomes this rather than keeping a closed door to new ideas."

Are you a people person?

"Having grown up in a rural farming community in a huge family, relating to people is how we entertained ourselves growing up, and this instilled a need for human contact in the career that I chose to pursue. I love working as part of a team where I find myself both willing to learn from others and provide education where I have a level of expertise. You'll also find that I am a great communicator and can work with patients with both empathy and patience."

If you enjoy helping people and working with others, you are most likely a people person. Now you need to know how to talk about it. Explain how you enjoy working with others at work, whether with coworkers or patients, or both. Talk about the importance that others play in your sense of well-being. Your interviewer knows that to thrive in this position, you need to effectively work with a diverse group of people, and they will be looking for you to reiterate that.

"I do consider myself a people person. I enjoy working as a team because I learn so much from my coworkers. I like being able to support others and help out in any way I can. You can learn so much from people, especially your patients."

"I am the type of person that works the best and performs to my peak when I am working as part of a larger team. Before becoming a Respiratory Therapist, I worked as a shuttle driver, where I spent many long nights by myself, and I quickly found out that wasn't the best field for me. In the healthcare setting as an RT, I love that I get to work with and communicate with patients, nurses, physicians, and fellow therapists daily, and this keeps me motivated to come back for more each day."

Can you work overtime, weekends, and holidays?

"As I look to enter the workforce as a new Respiratory Therapist, I am ready to take on any shifts, overtime, and holidays that I can to better myself in this field. I understand that essential learning in this job occurs the more that I can work and to one day work a more stable day shift, I need to pay my time in the department."

Medical facilities often require you to be available to work odd hours. You might be working the night shift for weeks, and then one day, you're asked to work a double or switch to 12-hour shifts. If you work in a doctor's office that is only open until 7 PM every night, you might have a more predictable schedule. But if you're in the emergency room or another 24-hour facility, you will need to be flexible. Explain your availability, but be clear that you are willing to work shifts needed while also being honest with your availability. This can be a difficult balance, and researching the hours for the position is important before applying for the job to ensure that it meets your availability. If you're not sure what to expect, ask.

"With my current employer for the past four years in a large hospital setting, I have worked 12-hour shifts that rotate 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 3 days off, 2 days on, and then 2 days off every two week period. Every two weeks, we switch from day shifts to overnight shifts. I am very flexible with my family situation and am usually willing to trade shifts with coworkers that need certain days or shifts off. I knew going into a career in healthcare that the need for patient care comes 24 hours a day and 365 days per year."

"In seeing the job posting was for a 12-hour shift, 0.9 FTE position working 6 am-6 pm, I was very excited at this point in my career to move into this type of role. With my children entering high school athletics, I can work any day of the week and am more than willing to help on extra days if needed. Can you clarify that the hours in the posting are correct?"

How do you handle stressful situations?

"If I ever start to feel stressed at work or find myself in a stressful situation, I will talk to someone about it. If it is workload-related, I will approach my supervisor to let them know. In a critical situation, I wouldn't hesitate to ask for help from others. For me personally, work stress is really minimized by taking care of myself outside of work by eating healthy, exercising, and getting plenty of rest each day."

When you look back on a stressful situation at work, think of the first thing that comes to mind. Now think of how you responded. The interviewer wants to know that you can deal with stress at work and will be looking for you to discuss the healthy ways that you manage stress on the job.

"When I start to feel stressed, I take a step back and remind myself to stay calm. I also take time to think through any challenges I'm facing to troubleshoot or problem-solve. By removing myself just for a moment and thinking from a 10,000-foot overview, I can assess situations and find the best way to manage them."

"In my career in this fast-paced environment, I had to learn healthy ways to manage on-the-job stress. I am usually not a person who gets overwhelmed easily, but when I do, I stay focused on the tasks at hand rather than freaking out. I'm very organized on the job, and this definitely helps alleviate any unnecessary stress while at work. Outside of work, I make sure that I am rested and spend time with my family to unwind from a stressful workday. Karate also helps me too."

How do you make sure you are using your time effectively?

"From my clinicals, I learned that time management and being organized is a huge part of this job with the number of patients that I will be treating daily. Having worked in a fast-paced environment as a waitress, I utilize technology to help me stay on task and on time while still providing great service. I believe these skills will translate well to my new career as a Respiratory Therapist."

Time management is a skill. As you learn to prioritize your daily tasks and start using tools and tricks to help focus your attention, you become more effective with your time. Remember, everyone is different. It helps to understand your weaknesses and what types of environments aid in your productivity. Some people work better late at night, while others prefer early morning shifts. Your interviewer will be looking to hear your tactics with managing your busy day-to-day schedule while not letting tasks slip through the cracks.

"I make sure that I am clear on expectations and required tasks, asking questions to clarify to prevent misunderstandings. I am thorough with patients, making detailed assessments before treatment and keeping track of time during visits."

"Throughout my career, the expectations on Respiratory Therapists have changed greatly regarding the number of patients we see each shift. I've been able to adapt to these changes with ease by staying focused on the care of patients and not being influenced by outside distractions. With the advent of the EMR systems, email, and instant messaging, I've been able to utilize these functions to help care for my patients more efficiently while also improving my one on one care with them."

Have you worked with a patient with a condition that was beyond your scope of practice? How did you handle it?

"While I didn't run into this situation during my clinical rotations, my preceptor at one rotation educated me on what to do in these situations. I know that it is important for me to understand my duties and what falls outside of those duties as a Respiratory Therapist. If I ever noticed a patient condition that fell outside of my scope, I would talk to an appropriate nurse or provider as soon as possible to let them know what I found. Teamwork like this is essential for the care of all patients as we all have our areas of expertise in their care."

Sometimes you work with a patient who has a bigger issue that requires other forms of therapy that you cannot provide. For example, a patient may have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. After multiple therapy appointments, you find a worse problem like a pharyngeal obstruction that requires surgery. You need to understand that it's okay if this happens. Your patient will be better off if you admit that you think there is another problem that needs attention outside of your therapy realm. If you have researched and learned about some of these related conditions, the interviewer might be interested. Speak from experience. If your experience is limited, be honest.

"In my current position working in a large hospital, I spend a lot of my time working with patients in our ICU. Here, it is frequent for patients or their family members to ask me to do things outside of my duties as a Respiratory Therapist. Just last week, I was monitoring a patient on a ventilator, and a family member asked if I could change the IV of the patient as the fluid was getting low. I let them know that the nurse with the proper training would have to do that, and I spoke with the nurse immediately to alleviate the concern of the family member."

"Just a few months ago, I was providing therapy to an older gentleman with asthma. As part of my normal treatment with patients, I take vital sign readings, and the patient's blood pressure was extremely high. While giving the patient time to relax, I noticed his breathing becoming heavier, and his blood pressure was not coming down. Noticing this was a major concern, I called the Emergency Department to see if he showed signs of a potential stroke, and they advised me to bring him down to the ED. Knowing that wasn't my call to make, I'm extremely thankful that I took the necessary course of action as the patient ended up having a bypass surgery that afternoon."

Tell me about the conditions you are most familiar with treating.

"Coming into my first position out of school, I have direct experience working with a wide variety of patients from my clinical rotations in a large hospital setting. During my rotations, I worked with many people in an inpatient setting with lung cancer, COPD, asthma, and even a few patients with brain injuries due to accidents. In each case, a proper assessment of the patient determines their RT needs, and I am comfortable working on many different patients."

Bronchitis, Lung Cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Respiratory Syncytial Virus... the list goes on and on. There are so many different conditions that you may encounter on the job. Describe your experience and the outcomes. Explain how you can provide consistent patient care for every situation you have handled.

"Working on a home health team, I have worked with patients that are suffering mostly from COPD, lung cancer, and sleep apnea. These chronically ill patients have been discharged from the hospital and are receiving care in their homes. With each patient, my job is to ensure that they can breathe in the best possible way, so my initial tests are all the same. Beyond that, treatment may vary depending on the condition that they suffer from."

"During my career, I have had the chance to gain experience working in hospital and specialty clinic settings where I was able to work with patients with many different conditions and injuries. I am focused on working with patients with sleep disorders in my current role, and I have received training as a Polysomnographic Technologist. In this setting, I love being able to work with patients that are suffering from various sleep disorders and utilizing the medical software and breathing machines to help make the lives of our patients better."

How do you gain the respect of your teammates when starting a new job?

"Being a people person, it is important to get to know your coworkers on a personal level so you can better understand their personal motivations on the job. In this job, I would make myself open to people to get to know me better in hopes that I can, in turn, learn about them. We spend a lot of time together, and we need to get along and know each other well to function as a cohesive team when caring for our patients. Besides, it makes work that much more fun when my teammates and I are having a good time."

Even though you have the credentials, you are working alongside professionals who are also highly qualified. They will respect you because of your hard work to get where you are, but you will have to earn credibility. Describe how you built rapport with your coworkers in the past and how you develop solid co-working relationships. Your interviewer will be looking to gain insight on how you build trust and respect among your colleagues that you will be working closely with in the future.

"I always take time to get to know my coworkers when I start a new job. I value those relationships because I know that if I ever needed help or were asked a difficult question by a patient, I would need their assistance. I want to be able to support my teammates in the same way, so I prioritize making conversation and eating lunch with them to get to know them better."

"Having been in my current position for over 15 years, I have seen many new therapists come through our department. To build trust and respect with each person, I begin by taking the time to educate them on the policies and procedures of our department and the organization as a whole. During the training process, I also take the time to get to know them personally and allow them to get to know me as well. By doing this, I can show my new coworker that I care about them, and that builds trust and respect in me from their perspective."

How would you handle a situation that could cause you to miss work?

"If I knew that it would be inevitable that I would be late or miss a shift at work, I would contact my supervisor or manager as soon as possible and follow any other protocols that were required immediately. In my job working through college, a major winter snowstorm that occurred overnight caused me to delay getting to work in time for one of my weekend shifts, and I had to find coverage right away. My team was always there to have each other's backs in an emergency, so I called around to my coworkers to find coverage for the first couple of hours of my shift that day."

Proper planning will get you far, but sometimes life happens, and you'll need a plan B. Think about some of the variables in your life that could affect your attendance at work. Sick children, traffic, car breakdowns... the list goes on. Most likely, one of these issues has affected you before. Your interviewer is looking to see that you are proactive and that you can handle the stress of unexpected situations that can arise.

"I stay calm and composed when issues arise. I slept through my alarm one time and knew I would be late for work. I called my boss immediately and then got ready as quickly as I could. I understand that my tardiness could affect both my coworkers and my patients."

"If I ever needed to miss work in an emergency situation, I would first follow the proper protocol set forth by the organization for notifying the proper people. In my current job, this entails calling in to HR within two hours of my shift and contacting my manager directly through their pager number. My department has the added step of trying to contact another therapist to try and provide coverage. I have always been a very reliable employee and the only times through my career where I had to miss a shift were when my children were young and experiencing a major illness."

If you could not be a Respiratory Therapist, what career would you choose?

"Having played volleyball and basketball through high school and basketball at the collegiate level, my other career path would have probably been in coaching athletics. My coaches that I worked with through my playing career helped me and inspired me both in play and in my personal life. Knowing that I have great leadership and motivational skills would transfer greatly to being a head coach at these levels. To satisfy this passion, I'm looking forward to coaching my daughters should they pursue youth athletics."

The interviewer wants to get to know you. When they are testing to see if you would fit in with the rest of the team, interviewers often ask questions like this to learn more about your interests. There is no right or wrong answer, just know your audience and talk about some of your additional interests and passions you would love to pursue.

"Had I not pursued a career in healthcare as a Respiratory Therapist, my other dream job would have been working as a wildlife biologist focused on the woodland creatures in my native Midwest. I grew up in the outdoors, and the balance of the ecosystem and how it affects animals like deer, bears, squirrels, and birds was always intriguing to me. Outside of work, I volunteer at the local animal shelter because of my love for animals."

"If I were allowed to jump into another career other than being a Respiratory Therapist, I would definitely be a commercial pilot. Traveling is one of my family's favorite hobbies, and I would love the ability to see the world as a pilot. As a young child, airplanes were always very intriguing and awe-inspiring to me. Even now, I get goosebumps on my flights as the plane taxis down the runway prior to takeoff."

What motivates you to want to help people?

"For me personally, this is not a job where you can report to work each day for your shift, skate through the motions of the day, and go home at the end of the shift. I love that I will be able to make a positive difference in my patients' lives, which will drive me to be the best that I can be in this field. Our patients need our therapy and knowing that I am making that difference makes the workday extremely fulfilling."

Many who work in helping fields like medicine or non-profits are driven by their knowledge that they can make a difference. You may have personally experienced the benefits of working with a Respiratory Therapist. Perhaps that motivated you to work in the field. This question is a good one to reflect on before the interview. Your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are a driven employee who is not just on the job to earn a paycheck because they know that successful employees are invested in their careers.

"As a person who grew up in a large family, I saw the benefits of a strong care team for a patient at a young age when my father was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia. Having been a farmer his whole life, a man that worked 16 hour days every day, watching him lay helpless in a hospital bed was shocking to me as a young child. Seeing the team of people work with him to recovery played a big part in my pursuit of a healthcare career, and today, my family remains my number one motivation in helping patients get better once again to be a part of their own family's lives."

"Seeing a great outcome in a patient where all hope for them to recover seemed to be lost at one point makes this job very rewarding. I love working in an intensive care setting and working with patients from admission through discharge. These patients overcome so much in their relatively short time in our unit, and seeing them get better and make their way back home always puts a smile on my face at the end of each day. On top of that, we become very close to the families of these patients, and knowing that they are getting their loved one back to normal is also very motivating for me to do the best that I can with each patient."

Tell me about a character trait that makes you a good candidate for this job.

"If I'm hired, you'll quickly find that my compassion for others is a great asset to have in this field. From a very young age, I was a caretaker for my siblings and family members. This was one of the deciding factors for me in pursuing a career as a Respiratory Therapist. As a compassionate therapist, I ensure that I show my patients that I am invested in their treatment. By having this investment in every patient, my personal motivation drives me to be the best that I can be every day in this career."

Integrity, humbleness, and empathy are all character traits that would make you a great candidate for the job. Think about a day in the life of a Respiratory Therapist, and think of the challenges you overcome. Your ability to remain calm during stressful times is an example of a character trait that would lend itself to the role. Your ability to listen to patients is another example. Choose one complimentary trait that would make you the best RT for this position.

"I'd say that my best trait for this career has been the fact that I am a very thorough and detail-oriented person in both my personal and professional lives. By being detail-oriented, I ensure that my patient assessments are not overlooked in the care of my patients and that proper documentation is completed in an accurate and timely manner. On top of that, my thoroughness ensures that nothing is missed with each patient that I encounter through my busy days where I am juggling the care of many patients at one time."

"My interpersonal skills are my number one trait that has made me successful throughout my career. While I do have great technical skills, my ability to work closely and communicate with my teammates, patients, and families set me apart from other RTs in the field. I thrive on the interactions in this job, whether it is working closely with the doctors that are providing care for my patients or educating a patient's family on the treatment that I am providing to their loved one."

What was the best thing you learned during your clinical training with patients?

"Upon entering my program out of high school, I had an excellent understanding of the daily life of a Respiratory Therapist. During my classroom training, I further developed my skills, but it wasn't until I began the clinical rotations that I realized how important the patient documentation duties were in this job. My first preceptor stressed that working in an EMR was a vital part of our job to care for a patient properly. After working for four weeks with her, I learned that my documentation on a patient goes a long way in their care for follow-up visits with their physician and future care that the physician could potentially provide. You'll find that I can learn the EMR here very quickly and that I put a high priority on patient documentation."

Give an example of something you learned that you think will benefit you in your career. It could have been something as simple as listening to patients or learning what to observe and how to treat an obscure illness. If you are fresh out of your schooling, this will give your interviewer a chance to hear that you are looking forward to further educating yourself in the field. If you are an savvy, experienced Respiratory Therapist, this question is a chance to show your interviewer how you've grown in this field since you attended your RT program and went through your clinical rotations.

"I learned that by thoroughly assessing symptoms, therapists can be much more effective in treating patients. I shadowed a therapist who was extremely detailed in his approach. He encouraged me to take time to get to know patients in order to identify factors that could affect therapy and to know what exercises and treatment will work best."

"Looking back to my schooling and clinical rotations, the biggest thing that I learned before entering my first job was that teamwork was an essential part of being a great Respiratory Therapist. From my first day on rotations, I saw that having the ability to communicate effectively with all members of a patient's care team was necessary for this job. Having the chance to work closely with and communicate with physicians and nursing staff prepared me for life as a full-time therapist moving forward."

If you could spend more time studying one particular respiratory illness, what would it be?

"Having grown up with a father suffering from sleep apnea, I've learned in my schooling and clinicals that an RT can help these patients. Watching the troubles that he has experienced with the condition first-hand gave me a great interest in pursuing further research into how respiratory therapy can help those suffering with the condition."

Sleep apnea and asthma are two commonly diagnosed respiratory illnesses. Even though there is a lot of research on them, there is still more to be learned. Think of some of the problems you have experienced with patients, and choose one illness you find fascinating. Explain to the interviewer that you are interested in understanding how these illnesses affect the oxygen supplied to the brain, ultimately affecting the patient's overall health.

"Having worked in a large hospital with a blossoming oncology program, I've worked with a large number of lung cancer patients. The field of cancer treatment and the hopeful cure and prevention of the disease is very close to my heart. Lung cancer is tough to detect early, and once cancer spreads, it has an extremely high mortality rate. Working with these patients has taught me the fragility of life and has made me appreciate each day with my loved ones even more."

"Having worked the majority of my career with patients that are diagnosed with asthma, I feel there is so much more to learn about the treatment for these patients. While most who suffer from the condition can live semi-normal lives with inhalers, some experience major life differences from you and me. With major obstruction to airways, severe asthma inhibits a person's ability to exercise or live a normal life, but our treatment can help. I'd love to see more advancements from an RT perspective to help limit folks with asthma being hospitalized and making emergency room visits."

What types of patients do you have the most difficulty treating?

"During my clinical rotations, my biggest struggle was working in the emergency setting on patients that were in critical condition when entering. Having not worked in these pressure situations was tough, but I had a great preceptor who taught me how to stay calm. At this time, gaining skills in a hospital setting will better prepare me further for these emergencies, and I look forward to furthering myself as an RT moving forward."

Depending upon where you worked and your experience, you may have already encountered the worst of the worst! In an emergency setting or even in your everyday pediatrician's office, you might have encountered a difficult personality or a scenario that caused a patient to resist treatment or give you an attitude. Draw from your experience and give an example of someone who was extra challenging for you. Show you are competent in handling those tough patients by explaining your reaction and how you helped through the situation.

"Having worked in the field now for eight years, I'd say that the patients that I'd have the most difficulty treating right now are pediatric patients. Since coming into the role that I'm currently in, peds patients are treated by pediatric specialists on our team. Even though I have not used the skills I developed in school and rotations for many years; I am confident in my ability to be able to work with these patients once again with some training and hands-on experience."

"Through my career, the patients that have been a struggle the most for me are those that are not receptive to my treatment. While I had a hard time at first with these patients by taking their unwillingness to receive treatment personally, I quickly learned that it was usually something personal happening in their lives that caused this. With these patients now, I take a patient and empathetic approach with them, and I've also found that providing education on what I'm doing helps put them at ease. Knowing that my treatment will help them makes them much more open to it."

What do you like most about being a Respiratory Therapist?

"Growing up in a family that was involved in the healthcare field, I knew that I wanted to follow in that path as well. After shadowing at my local hospital in high school, I realized that my love for technology would blend well with my need to care for the sick. Since I was a young girl, I have been fascinated by technology. As I progressed through Respiratory Therapy schooling and clinical rotations, I caught on very easily to the equipment we use daily, and I look forward to being an expert on the team in this area."

Explain what you like the most about your job and why. Maybe you enjoy encouraging your patients and seeing them light up as they make progress. Maybe you are interested in the rapidly changing technology that you get to use as a part of the treatment you offer. Whatever your greatest joy is in this career, make sure your interviewer knows that this keeps you motivated to be at your best every day on the job as a Respiratory Therapist.

"Having entered into this career field to be able to help people in need, I love being a part of a great outcome with patients. For every patient I see, I try to follow up with them while they are hospitalized to see the progress they've made. Any time that a patient or family member thanks me for my work, I leave with a giant smile on my face knowing that those moments make the grind of being an RT well worth it!"

"During my career as an RT, working as part of a larger team to care for patients keeps me motivated in this job every single day. I love that I get to work with nurses, physicians, hospital administrators, and fellow Respiratory Therapists daily. We all have our areas of expertise and can learn from each other to help the needs of our patients, and that fact makes this a fun and rewarding career."

What do you like least about being a Respiratory Therapist?

"As I went through my clinical rotations this past year, one unexpected thing I wasn't ready to deal with was ornery patients. From my first day on the job, I experienced patients who were upset to be hospitalized and weren't open to my treatment. They weren't afraid to let me know it, either. Being a people person, I am now confident in my ability to work calmly and wisely with these types of patients as I enter my first job in the field."

If you have read through any posts on job search sites from experienced Respiratory Therapists, you will see some drawbacks. The pay can be low, and the opportunities for advancement may be limited. You may have already experienced some other drawbacks, but clearly, you are still interested in the career. If you are searching for interview questions, you must like something about the job. If an interviewer asks you this question, focus on the challenges like dealing with difficult patients or balancing a heavy workload in a fast-paced environment. Then share how you dealt with it positively. You want to show off your strengths and how you overcome challenges. Speak with confidence and draw from your experience.

"Through my career so far, my least favorite part about the job is working swing shift every week. Having done this for five years, my family has had to take a backseat to my career many times. While I've been able to do this with ease, I've missed many important things in the lives of my children. In speaking with a current RT here, I love that this department works a month-long stretch of a particular shift. Along with all of the other great things I've heard about working here, this hugely appeals to my personal life."

"Having worked as part of a large team for many years, the only drawback I've ever experienced in this career is working with teammates that don't pull their weight. In my first experience working with these people, I was the person that would get mad. Over time and with advice from others, I learned that talking to the person directly was often the only thing needed to help them work a little harder. For the most part, these people don't fully realize that they aren't doing enough to help the team, and when I talk to them, the light bulb goes on. I've had colleagues thank me down the road for bringing this to their attention."

Does providing emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock make you nervous?

"I am not a stranger working in stressful situations as I worked as a part-time EMT while attending school. In the emergencies I was put in as an EMT, I was able to keep a level head and stay focused on the task at hand in helping a patient. I've worked with patients that have been in bad auto accidents and who were suffering from illnesses like a stroke or heart attack. I feel this skill will transfer nicely to my career as a Respiratory Therapist."

Work as a Respiratory Therapist can involve patients that are in an emergency type of situation. Your interviewer will be looking for your ability to stay focused on the task at hand in any situation. If you have direct experience, talk about a particular patient you worked with where the outcome was great because of your work.

"Regardless of the situation my patient came from, I am focused on patient care. I am proud to be a part of the stabilizing process and hope to be able to assist in their recovery."

"Early in my career as a Respiratory Therapist, I'll easily admit that I did have difficulty working with emergency needs patients like those suffering a heart attack. In my first job, my supervisor gave me sound advice to stay focused on my goal with the patient and to not think about the state the patient is in. By staying focused from there on out in these high-pressure situations, I've been able to grow and thrive as an RT to the point where I've worked in fast-paced emergency departments and critical care units for many years."

What was the most difficult part of schooling?

"Going into my schooling, I heard plenty of feedback that two to two and a half years in an RT program was a commitment to both time and effort, and that advice was spot on. So much information is squeezed into the coursework, and pairing that with clinical rotations, made me put my personal life on hold. Looking back, the two years were difficult at times, but I wouldn't go back and change the experience and training I received to enter a fulfilling career."

Sometimes the most difficult aspect of training for a new career is finding balance and managing stress. You may have also enrolled in a class that provided an extra challenge for you because the professor moved too quickly or didn't clearly present the information. Maybe you struggle to memorize medical terminology. Regardless of the difficulty, explain what it was and then elaborate upon how you handled it. The interviewer is more interested in how you overcame the challenge than the challenge itself.

"When I was attending my two-year program, I was young and raising a family, so I also worked part-time to help support my family, along with my spouse. Attending school and balancing a job and family was hard at first, but I learned quickly to prioritize things and keep myself healthy in the meantime. This juggling act became very helpful as I entered a career in the fast-paced field of respiratory therapy in the hospital setting."

"Coming out of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare, and through some job shadowing, I narrowed my path down to nursing or respiratory therapy. Knowing that my strengths were in biology, math, and physiology, I knew my struggle in RT would be on the technological side of things and learning the equipment that we use daily. By focusing hard on learning the tech side of the job, I have been able to continue learning and adapting throughout my career as the technology has changed so much in the years I have been in the field."

Why is measuring a patient's pH levels important?

"While I haven't worked directly with a patient that was experiencing a high pH level, I learned in my training what the effects could be. High pH levels indicate respiratory acidosis and can cause patients to experience breathing trouble as well as other symptoms like headaches and confusion. If these symptoms are noticed, I will notify the patient's physician to have a blood test ordered to confirm."

Draw from what you have learned in your experience and education. If a patient is more acidic, explain how that affects the oxygen going to the brain. Describe what you know about Respiratory Acidosis and acid-base balance. Be sure to familiarize yourself with terms like these before the interview.

"Having treated patients with respiratory acidosis, I know that symptoms can vary based on the severity of the patient's pH level. These patients experience a higher level of CO2 in their lungs which can cause fatigue, memory loss, and difficulty breathing. In more severe cases, muscle jerking and arrhythmias can occur. A simple blood test ordered by a physician can give all of the answers needed to see if this is the main cause in our patients."

"Working in an ICU, I've had many patients with bad cases of COPD and pneumonia that experienced high pH levels. With these patients, high levels of CO2 in the lungs have elevated the acid level in their blood. If I sense this is the case, I start with a lung function test. If results there are showing reduced functioning, the physician can perform further tests and a treatment plan can be made from there if confirmed."

Walk me through how you interview a patient.

"From my preceptor in my clinical rotations, I learned that the key with patients is to build their trust in me as their RT. I begin by introducing myself and explaining my role in their care. When a patient knows and understands what I am doing, it makes them more comfortable around me. I walk through the standard interview questions and allow the patient to ask follow up questions as well as me asking them for follow up on items if need be. The initial interview with a patient will guide their plan of care so it is vital that I find out as much information as I can during the process."

Explain step by step how you approach a patient. Describe the questions you ask and your process. Familiarize yourself with the questions and the process of patient assessments. Describe how your assessment plays into the care plan development for each patient.

"With each new patient that I encounter, my first impression of them goes a long way in their outcome. I take a few moments to get to know the patient and explain who I am and what my job entails. By making eye contact and showing I am invested in their care, patients are more likely to open up in the following consultation with them when finding out about their medical history and the symptoms they are facing."

"In my current role, I was part of a small team that developed our current patient intake interview form and I feel proud every time that I use it. The first time I see a new patient, I try to get to know them a little bit first before proceeding into the intake questions. This helps the patient gain a little bit of trust in me before moving forward. Then, the questions walk through the patients personal history, medical history and then into the symptoms that they are experiencing. Each question is important for me to do my job to properly assess the patient."

Respiratory Therapists Interview Questions

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1. Why did you decide to work in this field?
2. How do work as part of a larger team and what role do you find yourself being comfortable with?
3. What respiratory equipment do you have familiarity working with?
4. Talk about a time that you had to handle an emergency situation with a patient. How did you handle that situation and what role did you play if a larger team was involved?
5. How do you keep yourself up to date on advancements in our field?
6. What is the importance of the role of a Respiratory Therapist in infection control?
7. Talk about the importance of patient documentation and the documentation systems you have familiarity working with.
8. Have you ever had to work with a difficult colleague? How did you handle that situation?
9. Talk about a time where you had to work with the family of a particular patient. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome to work effectively with them?
10. What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
11. Are you a people person?
12. Can you work overtime, weekends, and holidays?
13. How do you handle stressful situations?
14. How do you make sure you are using your time effectively?
15. Have you worked with a patient with a condition that was beyond your scope of practice? How did you handle it?
16. Tell me about the conditions you are most familiar with treating.
17. How do you gain the respect of your teammates when starting a new job?
18. How would you handle a situation that could cause you to miss work?
19. If you could not be a Respiratory Therapist, what career would you choose?
20. What motivates you to want to help people?
21. Tell me about a character trait that makes you a good candidate for this job.
22. What was the best thing you learned during your clinical training with patients?
23. If you could spend more time studying one particular respiratory illness, what would it be?
24. What types of patients do you have the most difficulty treating?
25. What do you like most about being a Respiratory Therapist?
26. What do you like least about being a Respiratory Therapist?
27. Does providing emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock make you nervous?
28. What was the most difficult part of schooling?
29. Why is measuring a patient's pH levels important?
30. Walk me through how you interview a patient.

Respiratory Therapists Interview Questions

1. Why did you decide to work in this field?

2. How do work as part of a larger team and what role do you find yourself being comfortable with?

3. What respiratory equipment do you have familiarity working with?

4. Talk about a time that you had to handle an emergency situation with a patient. How did you handle that situation and what role did you play if a larger team was involved?

5. How do you keep yourself up to date on advancements in our field?

6. What is the importance of the role of a Respiratory Therapist in infection control?

7. Talk about the importance of patient documentation and the documentation systems you have familiarity working with.

8. Have you ever had to work with a difficult colleague? How did you handle that situation?

9. Talk about a time where you had to work with the family of a particular patient. Were there any obstacles you had to overcome to work effectively with them?

10. What kind of work environment do you thrive in?

11. Are you a people person?

12. Can you work overtime, weekends, and holidays?

13. How do you handle stressful situations?

14. How do you make sure you are using your time effectively?

15. Have you worked with a patient with a condition that was beyond your scope of practice? How did you handle it?

16. Tell me about the conditions you are most familiar with treating.

17. How do you gain the respect of your teammates when starting a new job?

18. How would you handle a situation that could cause you to miss work?

19. If you could not be a Respiratory Therapist, what career would you choose?

20. What motivates you to want to help people?

21. Tell me about a character trait that makes you a good candidate for this job.

22. What was the best thing you learned during your clinical training with patients?

23. If you could spend more time studying one particular respiratory illness, what would it be?

24. What types of patients do you have the most difficulty treating?

25. What do you like most about being a Respiratory Therapist?

26. What do you like least about being a Respiratory Therapist?

27. Does providing emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock make you nervous?

28. What was the most difficult part of schooling?

29. Why is measuring a patient's pH levels important?

30. Walk me through how you interview a patient.