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This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 5, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Patient Care Technician-Neuro-ICU Full-Time Nights

Northwestern Medicine · Winfield, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 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

Tell me about the most stressful shift you've worked and how you got through it.

What they are checking: Ability to function under stress, which matters even more in an ICU on nights.

Tell me about a time you supported a family that was scared or upset.

What they are checking: Compassion with families of critically ill patients while staying within the tech role.

What would you do

A patient who was talking normally an hour ago is now hard to wake. What do you do?

What they are checking: Recognizing a change in level of consciousness as urgent and getting the RN immediately.

How would you help a confused or agitated patient after a brain injury or stroke during the night?

What they are checking: Calm reorientation and safety awareness with neuro patients who may not understand where they are.

The nurse is busy with an unstable patient and asks you to handle everything else on the pod. How do you organize yourself?

What they are checking: Taking ownership of the unit's workflow and knowing what to escalate while the RN is tied up.

About the work

Neuro ICU patients can change quickly. What kinds of changes would you watch for and report right away?

What they are checking: Awareness of signs like new confusion, weakness, slurred speech or drowsiness that can mean a neurological emergency.

How do you reposition a patient who can't move on their own without hurting them or yourself?

What they are checking: Safe handling of dependent ICU patients, including lines, tubes and pressure injury prevention.

How do you take accurate vital signs on a patient with a lot of lines and equipment attached?

What they are checking: Comfort working around ICU equipment carefully without dislodging anything important.

How do you help a patient with swallowing problems after a stroke with eating or drinking?

What they are checking: Awareness of aspiration risk and following the diet and precautions in the plan of care.

How do you keep up with intake and output when patients have drains, catheters and IV fluids running?

What they are checking: Careful, accurate recording that nurses and doctors rely on for treatment decisions in the ICU.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine 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 Northwestern Medicine.

The Patient Care Tech reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. Under the supervision of an RN performs basic patient care activities. Responsibilities: • Performs basic nursing care activities as delegated and supervised by an RN, including monitoring vital signs, taking blood glucose measurements, and recording intake and output. • Assists patients with tending to personal care and activities of daily living, including bathing, grooming and eating. • Reports abnormal findings or changes in physical, mental and emotional conditions to nursing staff. • Assists with keeping patient rooms clean and orderly. • Demonstrates flexibility, organization, and multi-tasking. Able to function under stressful situations. • Utilizes critical thinking skills to successfully demonstrate the ability to prioritize and complete unit work quickly as the needs of the unit, patients and staff change. • Serves as liaison between patient care units and all other patient related departments. • Answers telephone, intercom and call lights in a polite manner using appropriate telephone etiquette and communicates information to the appropriate staff/family/patient. • Manages the overall unit workflow in concert with the charge RN and/or assistant manager, on an as needed basis. • Performs pre-census and validates daily admission, discharge and census lists, on an as needed basis. Required: • High School Diploma or equivalent • Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, or nursing school students with one semester of clinical completed • American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Preferred: • Phlebotomy experience • Graduate of an accredited Nursing Assistant program or Graduate of Phlebotomy course Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.