Registered Nurse (RN) – CRU
Posted Sep 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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
Walk me through how you get oriented when you float to a unit you don't normally work on, especially with a report you're getting mid-shift.
What they are checking: whether the candidate has a repeatable method for rapid unit orientation rather than relying on familiarity
Tell me about a time you floated into a unit and disagreed with an assignment because it felt unsafe for you or the patients. What did you do?
What they are checking: willingness to advocate for safe staffing without being confrontational or passive
Give me an example of when you had to build trust quickly with a nursing team you'd never worked with before.
What they are checking: interpersonal adaptability and speed of establishing credibility as an outsider
Tell me about a night shift where you had to manage a patient safety issue with limited support because it was overnight and staffing was thin.
What they are checking: independent clinical judgment during low-resource hours
Describe a time you cared for a patient in behavioral crisis who became agitated or aggressive. What de-escalation steps did you take?
What they are checking: real hands-on experience and composure with psychiatric or agitated patients
Tell me about a time you had to hand off a patient to a nurse you didn't know well and something important almost got missed. What happened?
What they are checking: attention to handoff communication rigor in a role that depends heavily on it
What would you do
You're pulled to the behavioral health unit tonight and you haven't worked there in a few months. What's your plan for the first thirty minutes on the floor?
What they are checking: comfort and specific protocol knowledge for a unit outside typical med-surg comfort zone
Say you're on the critical care stepdown unit at a 1:4 ratio and one patient suddenly decompensates while you still have three other patients to manage. What do you do first?
What they are checking: triage judgment and knowledge of escalation resources like rapid response
How do you handle it when a permanent staff nurse on a unit treats float pool nurses as less capable or gives you the harder patients because you're 'just floating'?
What they are checking: conflict resolution skill and professional resilience without escalating tension
What would you do if you arrived for your shift and were told your assignment tonight is a unit type you've floated to only once or twice before?
What they are checking: flexibility and self-advocacy for support without refusing the assignment
About the work
How do you keep track of each unit's specific documentation and equipment quirks when you're moving between observation, med/tele, stepdown, and behavioral health regularly?
What they are checking: organizational systems for managing variability across five-plus different care environments
What's your approach to a med/tele patient who is on telemetry and you notice a rhythm change that doesn't match what's in the chart?
What they are checking: working knowledge of cardiac monitoring and escalation protocol
How do you prioritize your patients at the start of a shift when you're working an unfamiliar ratio, like 3 to 4 on stepdown versus 4 to 5 on observation?
What they are checking: ability to reprioritize care planning based on acuity and ratio rather than habit
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.