How to Answer: Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting for direction. What was the outcome?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Respiratory Therapy Technicians job interview.
1. Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting for direction. What was the outcome?
How to Answer
The interviewer is looking for an employee that can take the initiative and work independently. Respiratory Therapy Technicians will often work with a Respiratory Therapist. Still, a situation might happen where you are working alone, and you need to be decisive and take action. Describe a situation where you took action without waiting for direction. This could be something that happened while working as a Respiratory Therapy Technician or in a previous job.
Written by Krista Wenz on May 15th, 2021
Answer Example
"I was administering a breathing treatment to a patient who had a history of asthma. The Respiratory Therapist got a call to check on another patient and left me alone. About five minutes later, the patient started clutching his chest and became very pale and diaphoretic. He was sitting in a chair, and I pushed the call button for the nurse and moved the patient to a hospital bed. I grabbed some electrodes and started hooking him up to the monitor. The nurse came in and took over, while I called the Respiratory Therapist to give him an update. Soon after, the patient went into cardiac arrest and we started CPR. A code was called, and a team came in with the crash cart. Fortunately, the patient survived after they took him into surgery."
Written by Krista Wenz on May 15th, 2021