How to Answer: 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?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Respiratory Therapists job interview.
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?
How to Answer
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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on June 3rd, 2021
Entry Level
"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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on June 3rd, 2021
Answer Example
"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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on June 3rd, 2021
Experienced
"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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on June 3rd, 2021