OfferDrill.

Jobs › SSM Health

Charge Registered Nurse - Stepdown / Critical Care

SSM Health · IL · $32.77–$52.43 an hour · Full time

Posted Aug 27, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at SSM Health

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time a patient on your unit started to decline. How did you organize the team?

What they are checking: Whether they lead calmly in a rapid response and know when to escalate to critical care or the provider.

Tell me about a conflict between two staff members that you had to help settle.

What they are checking: Whether they can handle peer conflict fairly while still working alongside both people as a coworker.

Tell me about a time you had to report a safety concern to leadership.

What they are checking: Whether they follow through on safety issues instead of letting them slide to keep the peace.

How do you keep yourself and your team going on a long, hard 7p to 7a shift?

What they are checking: Whether they think about morale and fatigue as part of leading, not only tasks and numbers.

What would you do

The ED wants to send up a patient and you have one bed but your staffing is tight. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage patient flow and safety, speak up about staffing and work with the house supervisor.

A nurse on your shift is falling behind and missing med times. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they support struggling staff in real time while protecting patients, without shaming anyone.

A family is angry and wants to talk to the person in charge. How do you handle that conversation?

What they are checking: Whether they can listen, calm things down and solve real problems without throwing staff under the bus.

About the work

Walk me through how you make assignments at the start of a night shift on a stepdown unit.

What they are checking: Whether they balance acuity, skill mix and continuity so no nurse is overloaded and sick patients get experienced eyes.

What are the early warning signs you teach newer nurses to watch for in stepdown patients?

What they are checking: Whether they can spot subtle changes, like trends in vitals or mental status, before a patient crashes.

How do you manage titratable drips, like a heparin or nitro drip, and how do you check other nurses' work on them?

What they are checking: Whether they know high-alert medication safety and double-check practices that charge nurses must enforce.

What does a good handoff between shifts look like to you as a charge nurse?

What they are checking: Whether they run structured handoffs that pass along risks and pending items, since gaps cause harm.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at SSM Health from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by SSM Health.

It's more than a career, it's a calling IL-SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mount Vernon Worker Type: Regular Job Highlights: Sign-on Bonus: Please speak with your recruiter about sign on bonus eligibility! Schedule Options: Full Time available Schedule Time Options: 7p-7a Benefits : Competitive, affordable health insurance including but not limited to: • Getting paid every day! • Access up to $5,250 in tuition coverage per year • Paid maternity & paternity coverage • Adoption assistance • Various competitive health insurance options & wellness plans • Retirement benefits including employer matching plans • Long & short-term disability • Employee assistance programs (EAP) *Please note, benefits and eligibility can vary by position, exclusions may apply. #CoreHire Pay Range: $32.77 - $52.43 Pay Rate Type: Hourly SSM Health values the skills and talents that each team member brings to our organization. Compensation for this role is based on a variety of components including relevant experience, labor market, and other qualifications. The posted pay range for this position is what SSM Health reasonably expects, in good faith, to offer based on the circumstances at the time of posting. SSM Health may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range as permitted by law. Job Summary: Provides leadership and coordination of unit staffing while ensuring implementation of clinical objectives and quality patient care. Job Responsibilities and Requirements: PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES • Assigns, directs, educates and monitors nursing and support staff during assigned shift. Contributes to or performs performance evaluations of staff. • Assesses daily patient care needs and develops and distributes patient care assignments, ensuring that population appropriate patient care is given. • Collaborates with advanced practice providers to ensure quality outcomes. • Evaluates the effectiveness of patient care and identifies any issues that affect desired patient outcomes. • Responds to complaints about patient care and manages through established channels. • May provide input for hiring, training, directing, developing and evaluating staff. • Works in a constant state of alertness and safe manner. • Performs other duties as assigned. EDUCATION • Graduate of accredited school of nursing or education equivalency for licensing EXPERIENCE • One year of registered nurse experience PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Constant use of speech to share information through oral communication. • Constant standing and walking. • Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs. • Frequent sitting, reaching and keyboard use/data entry. • Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors. • Frequent use of smell to detect/recognize odors. • Frequent use of hearing to receive oral communication, distinguish body sounds and/or hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc. • Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs. • Occasional lifting/moving of patients. • Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting, gripping and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements. • Occasional driving. • Rare crawling and running. REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL LICENSE AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS State of Work Location: Illinois • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Professional Nurse (RN) - Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) • And • Advanced Life Support (ALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) - American Academy Pediatrics (AAP) • Or • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Essentials - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) State of Work Location: Missouri • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) - Missouri Division of Professional Registration • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • And • Advanced Life Support (ALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) - American Academy Pediatrics (AAP) • Or • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Essentials - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) State of Work Location: Oklahoma • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) - Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) • And • Advanced Life Support (ALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) - American Academy Pediatrics (AAP) • Or • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Essentials - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) State of Work Location: Wisconsin • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) - Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services • And • Advanced Life Support (ALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) - American Academy Pediatrics (AAP) • Or • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) - American Heart Association (AHA) • Or • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Essentials - American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Work Shift: Night Shift (United States of America) Job Type: Employee Department: 1308000046 Pat Rms 3100 Progressive Care Unit Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36 SSM Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SSM Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Click here to learn more.

Apply at SSM Health

More charge registered nurse stepdown critical roles