Registered Nurse - Medical Surgical
Posted Oct 1, 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
Tell me about a time you caught a change in a patient's condition that others had missed.
What they are checking: Whether their assessments are sharp enough to notice small trends, and whether they act on what they notice.
Tell me about a time a family member was upset with the care their loved one was getting. What did you do?
What they are checking: Whether they can stay calm, listen, and fix what's fixable without getting defensive or making promises they can't keep.
Our schedule is 12-hour shifts with every third weekend on a set six-week rotation. How does that fit your life, and how do you stay sharp late in a long shift?
What they are checking: Whether they've thought honestly about the schedule and have habits that keep them safe when they're tired.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake or had a near miss at work. What happened next?
What they are checking: Whether they report errors openly and learn from them, which is the base of a safe unit culture.
What would you do
You have five patients on a med-surg floor at the start of a 12-hour shift. Walk me through how you decide who you see first.
What they are checking: Whether they prioritize by acuity and risk rather than by room order or whoever calls first.
A patient refuses their scheduled insulin and says they feel fine. How do you handle that?
What they are checking: Whether they respect patient autonomy while still educating, documenting and notifying the provider about the safety risk.
We're a small 13-bed unit connected to a three-bed ICU. What do you think changes about nursing in a small community hospital compared to a big one?
What they are checking: Whether they understand they'll have fewer specialists nearby and need to be resourceful and self-reliant.
You're about to give a medication and something about the order doesn't look right to you. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they will stop and verify with the prescriber or pharmacist rather than give a dose they doubt.
About the work
One of your post-op patients has a heart rate creeping up and a blood pressure drifting down over two sets of vitals. What are you thinking and what do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they recognize early signs of bleeding or sepsis and escalate before the patient crashes.
We have a CNA on every shift. How do you decide what to delegate to them and what you keep for yourself?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the RN's scope for assessment and teaching, and still follow up on what they hand off.
Walk me through how you prepare a patient for discharge after a hip replacement or abdominal surgery.
What they are checking: Whether discharge teaching starts early and covers meds, warning signs and follow-up in words the patient actually understands.
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As published by SSM Health.