OR & PACU RN - PRN
Posted Aug 27, 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
This is a PRN role covering both OR and PACU in Berlin. How do you stay current in two areas when you are not there every week?
What they are checking: Whether they have a plan for keeping skills fresh across two specialties with irregular hours.
Tell me about a time you worked with a team you did not know well. How did you fit in quickly?
What they are checking: Adaptability, since PRN staff often join a team mid-day and must earn trust fast.
What would you do
In a smaller hospital you may circulate a case and then recover the same patient. How does that change how you work?
What they are checking: Comfort with the wide scope of a rural surgical team where one nurse covers several phases of care.
You are the only PACU nurse and two patients come out at once. How do you manage it?
What they are checking: Prioritization and knowing when to pull in anesthesia or another nurse instead of stretching too thin.
In a rural hospital, help can be farther away. How would you respond if a patient's condition worsened quickly in PACU?
What they are checking: Calm emergency response and knowledge of rapid response and transfer options when resources are limited.
About the work
A patient arrives in PACU with an oxygen saturation of 86 percent and snoring respirations. What do you do first?
What they are checking: Airway priorities after anesthesia, including repositioning, jaw thrust, oxygen and calling for help.
How do you decide a patient is ready to leave PACU?
What they are checking: Whether they use a discharge scoring system like Aldrete and look beyond the number at the whole patient.
Walk me through how you would run the time-out and counts as the circulator.
What they are checking: Core OR safety practice, which is just as important in a small facility as a large one.
How do you manage post-op pain and nausea while watching for oversedation?
What they are checking: Balancing comfort with safety, especially in patients who received opioids and are at risk for respiratory depression.
What do you teach a same-day surgery patient and their driver before they go home?
What they are checking: Whether discharge teaching is clear and practical enough to prevent avoidable calls and readmissions.
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As published by ThedaCare.