Registered Nurse (RN)-Emergency Department
Posted Sep 8, 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
Walk me through a shift where you had several critical patients at once. How did you decide who to see first?
What they are checking: whether the candidate understands triage acuity and can prioritize under real pressure, not just describe chaos
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician about a patient's plan of care. What did you do?
What they are checking: comfort advocating for patients through appropriate channels without undermining team trust
Tell me about a code or rapid response you were part of. What was your specific role?
What they are checking: hands-on ACLS experience and ability to function within a resuscitation team, not just observe
Tell me about a time a family member was upset or hostile in the ED. How did you handle it?
What they are checking: de-escalation skill and composure, since ED nurses face this constantly
Tell me about a time you had to hand off a patient during a shift change where things were still unstable. How did you make sure nothing got missed?
What they are checking: quality of handoff communication, a common source of ED safety failures
How do you take care of yourself after a particularly hard shift, like one involving a patient death or a difficult trauma?
What they are checking: self-awareness about burnout risk and sustainability in a night-shift, high-acuity role
What would you do
A patient comes in during triage with chest pain, and at the same time a trauma alert comes through the doors. How do you handle both?
What they are checking: real-time triage judgment and knowing when to call for backup versus handle solo
You have a confused, agitated patient who is trying to pull out lines, and you're also charting on two other patients. What do you do first?
What they are checking: safety prioritization and delegation instincts in a high-volume 45-bed unit
A patient's condition is clearly worsening but the attending is tied up with another critical case. What do you do?
What they are checking: willingness to escalate and use the chain of command without waiting passively
About the work
What's your process for recognizing a patient who is quietly decompensating, before the monitor tells you?
What they are checking: clinical assessment skill and pattern recognition that comes from ED or critical care experience
How do you keep track of multiple patients' medication timing and reassessments during a busy night shift?
What they are checking: organizational systems for safe med administration under a heavy assignment
Given that this is a Level 1 trauma center, what's your experience with trauma activations, and what does your role look like when one comes through the doors?
What they are checking: actual exposure to high-acuity trauma protocols versus general ED experience
What does evidence-based practice mean to you in your day-to-day nursing, and can you give an example of applying it?
What they are checking: whether the candidate actually integrates current standards rather than relying on habit
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As published by Advocate Health.