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Registered Nurse- PACU (Recovery Room)- Day Shift

Southern Illinois Healthcare · Carbondale, IL · $31.25–$49.06 an hour · Full time

Posted Sep 2, 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 role works 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM three days a week with call. How do you handle call nights?

What they are checking: Realistic commitment to the schedule and call that PACU requires.

Tell me about a time a patient became unstable in recovery.

What they are checking: Experience responding quickly and working with anesthesia in emergencies.

What is your plan to complete ACLS and PALS within six months?

What they are checking: Whether they can meet the certifications PACU requires on the stated timeline.

What would you do

A patient's oxygen saturation falls and they are snoring loudly. What do you do?

What they are checking: Quick airway management for obstruction, a common PACU emergency.

A child wakes up very agitated after surgery. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can keep a child safe during rough emergence from anesthesia, which PALS training supports.

About the work

Walk me through your first five minutes when a patient arrives in PACU.

What they are checking: A systematic assessment of airway, breathing, circulation and handoff details on arrival.

How do you manage pain and nausea while avoiding oversedation?

What they are checking: Safe use of medications in patients still recovering from anesthesia.

How do you decide a patient is ready to leave PACU?

What they are checking: Use of discharge criteria like Aldrete scores rather than gut feeling.

How do you hand off a recovered patient to the floor nurse?

What they are checking: Complete handoff so important details are not lost after recovery.

How do you watch for signs of malignant hyperthermia?

What they are checking: Knowledge of a rare but deadly reaction to anesthesia.

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The full job description

As published by Southern Illinois Healthcare.

Current SIH employees need to apply for positions through our internal job portal. Log in to Workday to apply through the Jobs Hub. Position Summary • Responsible for providing professional nursing care for SIH patients. • 9:00 AM-9:30PM- 3 days a week- Call required Education • Associate, Diploma, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s in Nursing Licenses and Certification • Current Illinois Registered Nurse license • Current CPR/BLS Card • Current ACLS & PALS card (within 6 months of hire) • Emergency Room: 10306, 20306, 30306, 40306 • Recovery Room: 10314, 20314, 30314, 40314 Experience and Skills • Technical Experience: NA Role Specific Responsibilities • Assess patients to determine mental, physical, and spiritual needs • Establish a compassionate environment to provide emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patient and families • Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates an individual plan of care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary health care team. • Provide in health teaching and counseling to promote, attain, and maintain the optimum health level of patients • Demonstrate ability to use clinical judgement in conjunction with critical thinking to recognize, act upon, and report changes in patient condition. • Complete, accurate and timely documentation in patient medical record • Provide input into the development of policies and procedures to support patient safety and quality of care • Supervision and delegation responsibilities of licensed practical nurse and/or unlicensed assistant personnel • Serve as an advocate for the patient by communicating and collaborating with other health service professionals • Timely completion of required education, competencies, and licensure. • Float to other SIH nursing units within competency level Compensation (Commensurate with experience): $31.25 To $49.06 To access our Benefits Guide/Plan Information, please click the link below: http://www.sih.net/careers/benefits

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