Respiratory Therapist - Nights Weekender

Respiratory TherapistIncludes callIncludes weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$40.37-$62.57/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Shift: Nights

Schedule: Weekends

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Performs routine therapies that aid in the treatment, diagnosis, and evaluation of their cardiopulmonary status.

Will Initiate, monitor, evaluate, and wean invasive and non-invasive ventilation. Makes parameter recommendations based on clinical assessment, technical assessment, patient compliance, patient response, laboratory values, and patient status.

Initiates and provides on-going evaluation of treatment regime including medication delivery and oxygen administration through therapist driven protocols by performing patient assessments to determine the needs related to treatment therapies, frequencies, and duration of treatment regime ordered by physician.

Assesses patients clinically before and after the administration or application of any medication, procedure, or device; recommends appropriate therapy including initial therapy, changes in therapy, and discontinuation.

Monitors, assesses, educates, and documents the patient and/or family on therapies, medications, goals of therapies, and equipment during treatment.

Documents work timely, completely, and accurately including documentation in the patient electronic medical record and departmental records.

Demonstrates competence in the set-up, calibration, and troubleshooting of mechanical ventilators, noninvasive ventilation devices, therapeutic bronchoscopies and pulmonary function screens.

Cleans using high level disinfection, assembles, and maintains equipment and the stocking of departmental supplies.

Performs and documents emergency rounds, oxygen saturation checks, and titrates oxygen per protocol during oxygen and aerosol rounds.

Performs therapies in strict compliance to universal precautions and proper body mechanics, using sound judgment in evaluating situations, and taking appropriate action when necessary.

Responds to emergent care situations in the hospital and assists with resuscitation by providing chest compressions, airway management, airway stabilization, and ventilatory support in accordance with the American Heart association guidelines and as directed by the Code Team Leader.

Transports adult patients on mechanical ventilators, non-invasive ventilation devices, and critically ill to intrahospital procedures and testing.

Provides developmentally appropriate care to support the various patient populations during their hospitalization. Demonstrates competence in the care of pediatric and adult patients (when/if assigned to these patients) relative to determining each patient’s age related and other physical, psycho-social, and cultural needs.

Maintains proficiency in the processing and interpreting of point of care (POC) blood gases, glucose, and electrolytes; and collaborates on quality control with the POC Coordinator (at applicable locations only).

  • May require on call coverage as needed.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

Graduate of an accredited Respiratory Care Program

Certification/Licensure

RRT- CRT will be accepted for RTs that are not eligible for RRT. All other CRTs must earn RRT within 1 year of hire.

  • CPR
  • NRP within 90 days of orientation, for those departments requiring delivery attendance
  • IL and/ or WI Respiratory Care Practitioner license

Additional Requirements

  • Passing the WI Caregiver Background Check and/or IL Health Care Workers Background Check.
  • Must be able to follow written/oral instructions.

Other Skills and Abilities

Good mathematical and interpersonal skills

Information Access

Partner may access patient care information needed to perform their job duties. OR Partner may access patient care information, financial data, human resource data and strategic and planning data needed to perform their job duties as directed by the director.

Work Contact Group

Partners, physicians, patients/family, visitors, vendors, community

Special Physical Demands

The Special Physical Demands are considered Essential Job Functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb, balance, talk, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, taste, and smell.

Specific vision abilities require by this job include frequent ability to adjust focus and occasionally distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally exert up to 100 pounds of force.

Level of Supervision

Work requires a moderate level of independent judgment along with good interpretative and interpersonal skills with justification and accountability to Lead, Supervisor, Manager, and Director.

Pay Range

$40.37 - $62.57

Mercyhealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

  • Mercyhealth offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package including:
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Life & Disability Insurance
  • FSA/HSA Options
  • Generous, accruing paid time off
  • Paid Parental and caregiver leave
  • Career advancement and educational opportunities
  • Tuition and certification reimbursement
  • Certification Reimbursement
  • Well-being Programs
  • Employee Discounts
  • On-Demand Pay
  • Financial Education
  • Annual recognition/awards events
  • Partner appreciation days
  • Family entertainment/attractions discount

Community Service/improvement Opportunities

Click here for more details regarding Mercyhealth Careers Benefit Information.

At Mercyhealth, we don’t simply hire people, we empower employee-partners who are passionate about making lives better. As an integrated health system, we deliver exceptional, coordinated across seven hospitals, 85 primary and specialty clinics, and a team of over 7,500 professionals serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Mercyhealth has been nationally recognized for our commitment to our people and culture, including:

#1 in the nation on AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50

  • One of Working Mother magazine's 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
  • A Top 50 Company and Top 10 Nonprofit for Executive Women

Key Responsibilities

Performs routine cardiopulmonary therapies, monitors mechanical ventilation, and provides emergency airway management during resuscitation efforts. Documents patient care accurately and maintains respiratory equipment through high-level disinfection and calibration.

Requirements

Requires graduation from an accredited Respiratory Care Program and current RRT or CRT certification. Must hold or obtain IL/WI Respiratory Care Practitioner licensure and pass a caregiver background check.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Respiratory TherapyPatient AssessmentPoint of Care TestingEmergency ResuscitationClinical DocumentationInfection ControlPediatric CareAdult CareBronchoscopy AssistancePulmonary Function Screening

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 53% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 2.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Illinois is 100.0 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$107k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $107k in an average-cost state. 62.6% of Illinois clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

9 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution9 jobs

3
<$115k
4
$115k-125k
1
$132k
1
$139k

Annual compensation range

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist – CRT/RRT

Garnet Health · Middletown, New York

$45.05 - $63.70/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist (RT), Cardiopulmonary Rehab - Full Time (36hrs/week), Egg Harbor Township

$36.14-$56.23/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist - Providence Kodiak Island

$37.08-$55.62/hr
+ 7 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 50% of Respiratory Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,768 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Freeport

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$170k
Typical market rent
$960/mo
Residents’ average commute
16 min
State income tax
Up to 5%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Mercyhealth Wisconsin and Illinois logo

About Mercyhealth Wisconsin and Illinois

Hospitals and Health Care
Rockford, Illinois
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Medical, Dental, Vision
Life & Disability Insurance
FSA/HSA Options
Generous PTO
Paid Parental and Caregiver Leave
Career Advancement and Educational Opportunities
Tuition and Certification Reimbursement
Well-being Programs