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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-Nursing Float Pool Full Time Nights

Northwestern Medicine · Palos Heights, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 28, 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 a time you had to adjust quickly to a new team or a new way of doing things.

What they are checking: Flexibility, which the posting names and which a float pool depends on every shift.

How do you stay alert and careful on night shift?

What they are checking: Self-awareness about fatigue and the habits that keep patients safe overnight.

Tell me about a time you reported a change in a patient's condition to a nurse.

What they are checking: Willingness to report physical, mental or emotional changes, which the posting requires.

What would you do

In the nursing float pool you might be on med-surg one night and stepdown the next. How do you get oriented when you arrive on a unit?

What they are checking: Whether they find the charge nurse, learn the unit's routines and ask questions instead of guessing.

It's the middle of the night and a patient keeps trying to get out of bed alone. What do you do?

What they are checking: Fall prevention instincts and teaming with the RN on a safety plan.

The regular techs on the unit give you the heaviest assignment. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Professionalism as an outsider and speaking up appropriately if the workload becomes unsafe.

A family member calls the unit at 2 a.m. asking how their mother is doing. What do you do?

What they are checking: Phone etiquette and privacy, routing clinical updates to the nurse instead of sharing them directly.

About the work

What changes in how you work when you go from a med-surg floor to a stepdown or telemetry unit?

What they are checking: Awareness that higher-acuity patients need closer watching and faster reporting of changes.

Walk me through how you take vital signs and check blood glucose, and what results you'd report right away.

What they are checking: Accuracy with basic skills and knowing which abnormal values the RN needs to hear about immediately.

How do you help a patient with bathing and personal care in a way that protects their dignity?

What they are checking: Respectful hands-on care for patients who depend on others for basic needs.

Practice this interview out loud.

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Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

See what our staff have to say about working at Northwestern Medicine! It Takes a Team ! 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. This position is full-time, 72 hours per pay period, night shift, 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. with alternating weekends and holidays. This position will primarily be a sitter position with PCT responsibilities for the patient. This position will also float to other areas of the hospital as a PCT if sitter position is not needed. 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.