JobsAdvocate Health

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Wauwatosa, WI

Posted Sep 14, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

Apply at Advocate Health

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time a patient on your unit started to escalate. What did you see building up, and what did you do first?

whether the candidate can recognize early warning signs and intervene before a crisis peaks

Have you ever had to be part of a restraint? What was that like, and how did you support the patient afterward?

comfort with the physical realities of the job and follow-through on dignity and debriefing after a difficult intervention

Describe a time you disagreed with a physician or a treatment team decision about a patient's care or discharge readiness. What did you do?

whether the candidate advocates for patients through proper channels rather than staying silent or going around the team

Tell me about a patient who really got under your skin, maybe someone manipulative or in crisis constantly. How did you keep your care consistent?

emotional regulation and consistency in therapeutic boundaries over time

Working 12-hour shifts on a locked unit with unpredictable acuity can wear on people. What do you do to stay steady over a full shift, and over a whole career in this specialty?

realistic self-awareness about burnout and sustainability in psych nursing

Technical

How do you keep line of sight and awareness of every patient on the unit when you're also charting, giving meds, and talking with families?

whether the candidate has real strategies for divided attention and environmental scanning on a psych unit

What's your process for a psychiatric admission assessment, from the moment the patient arrives on the unit?

working knowledge of intake protocol, risk assessment, and documentation standards

What does a safe environment mean to you on an inpatient behavioral health unit, and how do you actively check for it during a shift?

awareness of contraband, ligature risk, and elopement risk beyond just following a checklist

This unit cohorts patients by wing to manage risk. How would you approach handing off a patient's status and risk level to the next shift so nothing gets lost?

quality and completeness of handoff communication in a unit where risk changes quickly

Situational

Walk me through how you would verbally de-escalate an agitated patient who is pacing and raising their voice at the nurses' station.

practical command of de-escalation technique versus jumping straight to physical intervention

Say you're doing rounds and notice a patient in their room who seems to be attempting self-harm with an object. What do you do in the first sixty seconds?

ability to act decisively under time pressure while maintaining safety protocol

Tell me about a shift where two patients needed you at the same time, one clinically urgent and one behaviorally urgent. How did you decide where to go first?

triage judgment specific to inpatient psych, not just medical acuity

How do you handle a family member who is upset, maybe even hostile, about a loved one's involuntary hold or restriction of visits?

communication skill and composure with families in a high-emotion, legally sensitive situation

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Advocate Health 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 Advocate Health.

Department: Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 32 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Full Time and Part time positions available PM .8 FTE We are currently under construction! Updates will include- • Open floor plan to maximize patient access and personnel space options to support a healing environment. • Physical space designed to enhance patient experience to create open hallways, promote physical distances and reduce agitation / escalation triggers. • Nurses’ stations designed to optimize safety by creating line of sight and consistent view of the patients. • Patient wings designed to easily cohort patients and provide individualized care to maximize safety. • Unit entry enhanced to create double door sally port egress for patient and staff entry / exit an effort to increase safety and reduce the risk of patient elopement. Pay Range: $38.20 - $57.30 Registered Nurse (RN) – Behavioral Health Adult Inpatient Unit APH   Wauwatosa, WI United States Be the Nurse Who Redefines Care. At Advocate Health, being a nurse means more than delivering exceptional clinical care—it means leading with purpose, compassion, and boldness. As part of our One Advocate Nurse community, you’ll join a unified team committed to lifting others up, embracing innovation, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. You’ll be empowered to think boldly, collaborate with humility, and drive change through fearless curiosity. Whether you're at the bedside, in the community, or advancing care through research and education, you’ll help shape the future of health—because here, we’re redefining care for you, for us, for all. Your feedback matters . Every nurse’s voice is vital in shaping our culture and improving care. We value your insights and experiences because they help us grow stronger together. Where You Will Work:   Come join our team at Aurora Psychiatric Hospital in the Adult Inpatient unit We’re Looking For:   • Completion of an accredited or approved program in nursing  • Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the teammate practices  • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association   What You’ll Do:   • As a skilled and compassionate RN, you will play a pivotal role in providing and coordinating comprehensive patient care through the nursing process to deliver safe, therapeutic care in accordance with established standards, policies, and procedures.   • Using evidence-based practice, clinical decision making, compassion, and skills communication while leading efforts to create the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum.   About This Location:    At Aurora Psychiatric Hospital you can count on the most comprehensive continuum of behavioral health care in the state. Located on a beautiful, 30-acre wooded campus in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, our facility offers an ideal healing setting for children, adolescents and adults experiencing mental health or substance concerns. From our landscaped garden areas to our use of pet therapy dogs, we create a patient-focused, healing treatment experience that fosters recovery. You can rest assured that our team’s expertise and compassion will help you or your loved one begin the journey to recovery in a caring, confidential and comfortable environment. Physical Requirements & Working Conditions Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, squatting, reaching, twisting, and lifting throughout the workday. Must safely lift up to 35 pounds and perform patient handling tasks, including pushing/pulling up to 30 pounds and assisting with 150-pound sliding transfers. Requires functional speech, vision, hearing, touch, and fine motor skills for clinical procedures, as well as the ability to operate equipment foot controls. Must be able to respond quickly to changing patient conditions and perform patient safety interventions, including verbal de-escalation and restraints when necessary. Exposure to blood, body fluids, communicable diseases, chemicals, and hazardous waste may occur; appropriate protective equipment must be used. Physical Abilities Testing and additional department-specific requirements may apply. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Ready to Take the Next Step: Apply Now!   Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

Apply at Advocate Health

More registered nurse behavioral health roles

Related jobs

Registered Nurse (RN) - Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Aug 31 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Aug 31 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 1 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Wauwatosa, WI

Posted Sep 1 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 10 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) Behavioral Health

Advocate Health · Milwaukee, WI

Posted Sep 10 · Verified Sep 20