Interview Questions to Ask a Respiratory Therapist Candidate
Questions that surface real evidence of clinical judgment under acute respiratory distress, backed by real certification — plus what to actually listen for in the answer, not just whether they say the right buzzwords.
1. Walk me through how you would set up and adjust a ventilator for a patient who is struggling to breathe.
What to listen for: Covers checking the order, mode and settings, monitoring blood gases and patient comfort, and escalating promptly to the physician when readings worsen.
2. Your patient's oxygen saturation drops suddenly while on a nasal cannula. What are your first steps?
What to listen for: Assesses the patient before the equipment, checks tubing and airway, increases support safely, calls for help early, and documents the event clearly.
3. How do you prevent cross-infection when moving equipment between patients on an isolation ward?
What to listen for: Describes protective gear, cleaning and disinfecting routines, single-use items, and speaking up when a colleague skips a step.
4. You are covering several units and two patients need you at the same moment. How do you choose?
What to listen for: Prioritises by clinical risk, delegates or calls for backup, communicates with nurses, and records what was delayed and why.
5. What would you do in your first 30 days in this respiratory therapist role?
What to listen for: Whether their plan is grounded in the role's actual must-haves (ventilator management and airway assessment) or generic ("get to know the team"). Specificity here signals real understanding of the job, not just interview prep.
6. Why are you leaving your current role, and why this one specifically?
What to listen for: Forward-looking motivation tied to something concrete about this role, versus badmouthing a past employer or vague dissatisfaction. Watch for whether their reasons actually match what this role offers.
A warning sign in this interview
The candidate describes equipment settings from memory without mentioning assessing the patient, double-checking orders or escalating early when a patient deteriorates.
What to look for on the CV before the interview
Units worked, ventilator experience and certifications.
Confirm before you make an offer
The licence or registration required where you hire, and life-support certification.
People who may apply under another title
This job is also called Respiratory Care Practitioner, RT, Respiratory Technician, Pulmonary Therapist. A candidate with one of those titles can be a strong match, so ask the same questions and judge the answers, not the title.
Frequently asked questions
How many of these questions should I ask in one interview?
3-4 is realistic for a 30-45 minute interview once you leave room for follow-ups and the candidate's own questions. Divide competencies across panel members rather than every interviewer asking all of them — see the Interview Scorecard tool for a structured version of this.
How is this different from the Interview Scorecard tool?
This page is a generic starting point for the respiratory therapist role. The tool generates a full panel-ready kit — competency-grouped questions, a 1-5 rating rubric, and strong/weak answer examples — tailored to your actual job description and competencies.
What is a red flag when interviewing a respiratory therapist?
The candidate describes equipment settings from memory without mentioning assessing the patient, double-checking orders or escalating early when a patient deteriorates.
What should I confirm before offering a respiratory therapist the job?
The licence or registration required where you hire, and life-support certification.
Hiring a respiratory therapist? The rest of the toolkit
- How to write the job description →
Titles, must-haves, credentials and a starting posting.
- Search strings to find candidates →
Five searches from broad to narrow, with exclusions.
- Run the whole hire in one place →
Jobs, CV review, interviews, offers and checks together.