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Graduate Nurse Tech, Emergency Room

Mercyhealth · Rockford, IL · $18.40–$60.87 an hour · Full time

Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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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

This is a night shift role in the Rockford emergency room. How are you preparing yourself for nights as a new graduate?

What they are checking: Whether they have a realistic plan for sleep and health on nights, which affects safety and retention.

Tell me about a time in clinicals when you noticed a patient getting worse. What did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they recognize deterioration and escalate quickly through the chain of command.

What does culturally sensitive care look like to you in a busy emergency department?

What they are checking: Whether they can adapt care to different patients even when time is short.

Tell me about feedback you got from a preceptor that was hard to hear. What did you do with it?

What they are checking: Coachability, which matters most for a new graduate in a fast-paced unit.

What would you do

Three patients arrive at once: chest pain, a child with a high fever and an adult with a sprained ankle. How do you think about who needs attention first?

What they are checking: Basic triage reasoning and whether they know to recognize airway, breathing and circulation risks first.

How do you handle a patient or family member who is yelling at you in the ER?

What they are checking: De-escalation skills and staying calm and safe in a high-stress setting.

You may be asked to float to other units. How do you feel about that, and how would you get oriented fast?

What they are checking: Flexibility and whether they ask questions and seek resources in an unfamiliar unit.

About the work

While you wait for your license, your role is limited. How will you make sure you stay within what a graduate nurse tech is allowed to do?

What they are checking: Whether they respect scope limits before licensure, which protects patients and their future license.

A patient's blood pressure drops to 82 over 50 and they look pale and sweaty. What do you do right away?

What they are checking: Whether they act on signs of shock by getting help and reassessing rather than just charting the number.

What do you check before giving any medication to a patient?

What they are checking: Whether they consistently use the rights of medication administration to prevent errors.

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The full job description

As published by Mercyhealth.

OVERVIEW Provides compassionate, culturally sensitive, holistic nursing care to patients in a clinical setting, supporting the Mercyhealth nursing mission, practice values and strategic plan. May include variable shifts, weekends, holiday and or on-call hours. Performs other duties as assigned including floating to various units based on identified needs and clinical competency. SCHEDULE: 36-hours per week SHIFT: Nights ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • Utilizes the nursing process and collaborates with interdisciplinary team members in caring for patients. • Administers prescribed medications and treatments in accordance with approved nursing techniques, policies and procedures, standards of care, and State laws practice act. • Documents according to standards of care. • Performs assessments, planning, intervention, and evaluation of care. • Develops, initiates, and executes a patient plan of care according to the individualized needs of the patient, as prescribed by Physician and or clinic policy including patient and family instruction. • Participates in department or unit performance improvement activities, may include shared governance. • Utilizes clinical expertise and guidance to other units’ departments in support of the patient’s longitudinal plan of care. • Utilizes critical thinking regarding patient safety and patient experience and appropriately escalates to the appropriate chain of command. • Participates in the professional nursing continuum process, unit practice activities and decisions and peer review process. EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE • Graduate of an accredited nursing program. • ADN required upon hire, BSN preferred. • May require specific years of applicable experience to qualify (per department guidelines) CERTIFICATION/LICENSURE • Licensed as an RN in state of practice • Approved CPR/BLS certification required within 90 days • Other certification(s) per unit requirements. For example : ACLS, PALS, PEARS, and NRP OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES May include color blind test (per department guidelines) LEVEL OF SUPERVISION N/A PAY RANGE: $18.40 - $60.87 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

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