Registered Nurse (RN)- Clinical Lead Surgical Trauma ICU
Posted Aug 27, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 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.
Behavioral
Tell me about your background in the ICU. What kinds of patients have you cared for and how many years have you been doing this work?
whether the candidate meets the 2-3 years ICU experience bar and has relevant acuity exposure
Tell me about a time you had to lead your peers during a crisis on the unit, even though you weren't officially in charge.
informal leadership capacity, since this is a clinical lead role without full charge authority
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a trauma surgeon or resident about a patient's plan of care. What did you do?
comfort advocating for patients within a physician-heavy, hierarchical environment
Tell me about a time a patient's family was struggling to cope with a traumatic injury. How did you support them alongside the clinical care?
ability to deliver compassionate communication in high-stress family situations
Tell me about a shift that didn't go the way you planned. What happened and what did you learn from it?
self-awareness and ability to reflect and adapt after difficult outcomes
What does creating the safest patient environment mean to you day to day on a 20-bed ICU like this one?
alignment with the unit's stated culture around safety and patient experience beyond just task completion
Technical
Describe your approach to serial neuro or hemodynamic assessments on a critically injured trauma patient. What are you watching for that would make you escalate?
depth of clinical assessment skill specific to trauma/surgical ICU patients
What is your experience managing IV vasoactive drips and titrating them based on patient response?
technical competency with high-risk medications common in surgical trauma ICU
How do you approach wound care and infection prevention for a patient with multiple traumatic injuries and lines?
practical knowledge of complex wound management and infection control standards
Situational
Walk me through how you'd manage a fresh post-op trauma patient on a ventilator who starts desaturating in the middle of the night with limited support around you.
clinical judgment and independent decision-making during a high-acuity event on night shift
As clinical lead, how would you handle a newer nurse who is falling behind on assessments during a busy shift and starting to fall behind on documentation?
coaching skills and ability to balance patient safety with staff development
If you had two critically unstable patients assigned to you and a rapid response call came in on the unit, how would you prioritize?
triage judgment and resource management under pressure with limited staffing
How would you handle a situation where a surgical resident gives you an order that doesn't sit right with your clinical assessment of the patient?
willingness to advocate for patient safety and escalate appropriately within the chain of command
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As published by Advocate Health.
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