Registered Nurse (RN)- Cath Lab
Posted Sep 16, 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 had to respond to an emergent case within that 30 minute call arrival window. What did that look like for you personally?
What they are checking: whether the candidate has actually lived the on-call demands of this role and can sustain them
Tell me about a case where you disagreed with something happening in the room, maybe a technique or a decision, and how you raised it.
What they are checking: willingness to speak up to physicians in a high-stakes, hierarchical environment
Tell me about a time a procedure did not go as planned, maybe a complication or a code in the lab. How did you and the team handle it afterward?
What they are checking: composure under crisis and ability to participate in honest debrief and learning
What does teaching and precepting look like to you, given this unit's emphasis on a supportive, teaching-oriented team?
What they are checking: fit with the unit's collaborative culture and willingness to mentor newer staff
What would you do
A patient develops sudden hypotension and bradycardia right after sheath removal. What are you doing in the first sixty seconds?
What they are checking: recognition of vasovagal reaction versus something more dangerous, and speed of appropriate intervention
A patient starts showing signs of a contrast reaction mid-procedure. What do you do, and who do you need in the room?
What they are checking: knowledge of contrast reaction protocols and ability to mobilize the team quickly
How do you keep a patient calm and informed when they are awake for a procedure and things are moving fast around them?
What they are checking: patient experience and communication skills in an environment that can look intimidating to patients
How do you personally manage the physical and mental demands of ten hour shifts plus shared on-call coverage over time?
What they are checking: realistic sense of the schedule's toll and whether the candidate has a sustainable plan for it
About the work
Walk me through what happens from the moment you get the call for a STEMI activation to the patient being on the table ready for the physician.
What they are checking: whether the candidate knows the real time-sensitive workflow and can execute it under pressure, not just describe it in theory
How do you monitor and manage a patient's hemodynamics during a complex catheterization, and what changes make you speak up to the physician right away?
What they are checking: depth of hands-on cath lab monitoring experience and comfort escalating to the physician
Describe your experience with radiation safety practices in the lab. What do you personally do to limit exposure to yourself, the team, and the patient?
What they are checking: whether safety habits are second nature rather than something learned for the interview
What is your process for managing arterial and venous sheaths, including manual hemostasis and closure devices you have used?
What they are checking: concrete procedural competence expected of someone with two-plus years of cath lab or related experience
How is your experience in critical care, EP, or IR going to carry over into this cath lab, where you'll see complex catheterizations, electrophysiology, and structural heart cases?
What they are checking: honest self-assessment of how transferable prior experience really is to this specific case mix
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As published by Advocate Health.