Why pre-screen respiratory therapists before the unit interview
The difference between therapists shows at two moments: managing a difficult ventilator patient, and the point where someone is deteriorating and a decision cannot wait for a round. Both require judgement and both require being willing to say something to a doctor who disagrees. A short screen asks for a patient who deteriorated on their shift, which reveals more than any list of competencies.
What actually matters when screening Respiratory Therapist candidates
- 01
Clinical competence
Check hands-on command of ventilator modes (PRVC, APRV, pressure support), ABG interpretation, weaning and SBT protocols, BiPAP setup, and bronchoscopy or intubation assist experience.
- 02
Patient safety and protocol
Probe adherence to lung-protective ventilation targets, VAP bundle steps, circuit change and suction protocols, alarm response, and how they escalate a failing weaning trial to the intensivist.
- 03
Patient communication
Assess how they coach anxious patients through NIV masks, explain incentive spirometry or inhaler technique, and discuss trach or end-of-life ventilation choices with families.
- 04
Working in a clinical team
Look for evidence of code blue and rapid response participation, handoff quality across shifts, working with intensivists and RNs on rounds, and neonatal or transport team coverage.
Pre-screening questions to ask Respiratory Therapist candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Ventilation hands-on
3 questions01Can you describe your experience with mechanical ventilation?
Listen forModes managed independently with settings adjusted from patient response and blood gas results.
Ventilator experience limited to monitoring, or settings never adjusted by them.
02What experience do you have performing different respiratory therapy treatments?
Listen forA range of treatments delivered independently, with the indications and contraindications understood.
Treatments described as tasks performed, or indications not understood.
03How familiar are you with pulmonary function testing?
Listen forTesting performed with quality criteria applied, and results interpreted rather than just recorded.
Tests run without checking effort or repeatability, or results passed on uninterpreted.
When a patient deteriorates
3 questions04What is your experience providing emergency and intensive care respiratory support?
Listen forTime in critical care with the acuity described, including their role during an emergency.
Critical care exposure described vaguely, or no emergency they were part of.
05Can you describe your experience with critically ill patients needing respiratory support?
Listen forA specific patient with what they observed and did, described without identifying anyone.
Identifiable patient detail volunteered, or no example from their own practice.
06Describe a time when you had to make a quick decision in a critical situation.
Listen forA decision made within their scope, with escalation triggered at the right point.
Decisions taken beyond their scope, or waiting for a doctor while a patient deteriorated.
Patients and families
3 questions07How do you explain complex medical information to patients and their families?
Listen forPlain explanation without minimising the situation, and questions answered honestly within their scope.
Explanations that overpromise, or questions deflected rather than referred appropriately.
08What techniques do you use to ensure patient comfort during procedures?
Listen forDistress recognised and addressed, with procedures paused where a patient cannot tolerate them.
Comfort treated as secondary to completing the treatment, or distress not acknowledged.
09How do you assess patient progress and adjust treatment accordingly?
Listen forObjective measures reviewed regularly, with any changes discussed with the wider medical team.
Treatment continued unchanged, or progress assessed only at handover.
Speaking up
3 questions10Can you describe a time when you had to advocate for a patient's respiratory care?
Listen forA concern raised with reasoning and escalated when it was not acted on.
Concerns not raised, or advocacy described as documenting a disagreement only.
11How do you handle feedback from doctors and other clinical colleagues?
Listen forFeedback taken well, with the ability to hold a clinical position when the evidence supports it.
Deference regardless of the clinical picture, or defensiveness about their own practice.
12Do you have experience with chronic respiratory disease management?
Listen forEducation and self-management supported, with adherence and technique checked rather than assumed.
Chronic care treated as routine treatment delivery, or inhaler technique never checked.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Clinical competence
35%5Names specific ventilators (Servo-u, Puritan Bennett 840), explains why they changed PEEP or tidal volume for a given ABG trend.
Patient safety and protocol
30%5Cites ARDSNet volumes per predicted body weight, describes a catch they made on a wrong ETT depth or disconnected circuit.
Patient communication
20%5Describes talking a panicking BiPAP patient into tolerating the mask, and teaching MDI spacer technique that changed readmission outcomes.
Working in a clinical team
15%5Gives concrete rounding contributions, recalls a code where their airway role was clear, and describes structured shift handoff of vent settings.
The job shows itself on a difficult ventilator patient and a deterioration at three in the morning. A one-way video screen asks about both.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish their ventilation and treatment experience, test critical judgement, and hear how they work with the medical team.
What should I verify outside the screen?
Registration, licence status and any restrictions, in full, plus references from clinical settings. The screen shows clinical judgement; those checks confirm the right to practise in your jurisdiction.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
A deteriorating patient handled. Therapists with real critical care time describe what they saw, what they did and when they escalated. Anyone with no such example has worked in a quiet setting.
How do I judge whether they will speak up?
Ask about disagreeing with a doctor over a patient's care. Sound answers describe raising it with reasoning and escalating if needed. Anyone who defers entirely is a patient safety risk.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
