Registered Nurse (RN) - ICU
Posted Sep 17, 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 patient you had in the ICU who was rapidly deteriorating. What did you notice first, and what did you do about it?
What they are checking: clinical assessment skills and whether they can recognize and act on early warning signs
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician's plan of care for a critically ill patient. How did you handle it?
What they are checking: advocacy skills and ability to communicate up the chain without damaging working relationships
Tell me about a shift where you had more than one patient crashing at the same time, or came close to it. How did you decide where to put your attention?
What they are checking: triage judgment and composure under pressure with a heavy assignment
Tell me about a time a family member was distraught or angry about a loved one's condition. How did you handle that conversation?
What they are checking: communication skill and emotional composure with families in crisis
Describe a time you caught a medication error, either your own or someone else's, before it reached the patient.
What they are checking: attention to detail and honesty about safety culture, including admitting mistakes
Tell me about a time you had to bring a new grad or less experienced coworker up to speed during a critical situation.
What they are checking: mentoring instinct and teamwork under pressure, relevant to a collaborative ICU culture
What would you do
You have a patient on multiple vasopressors who suddenly becomes hypotensive and their oxygen saturation drops. What's your first move?
What they are checking: real-time prioritization and technical grasp of hemodynamic instability
Given the every-other-weekend, 36-hour schedule with 12-hour shifts, how do you personally manage fatigue and stay sharp on hour eleven of a shift?
What they are checking: self-awareness about burnout and realistic planning for the actual schedule
A family is asking you detailed questions about prognosis that really should come from the physician. How do you respond in the moment?
What they are checking: understanding of scope of practice and how they redirect without seeming dismissive
If you noticed a colleague was cutting corners on isolation precautions or infection control, what would you do?
What they are checking: willingness to hold peers accountable and commitment to unit safety standards
About the work
How do you approach titrating sedation and vasoactive drips for a patient on a ventilator?
What they are checking: comfort with high-acuity medication management and protocol-driven titration
What's your process for a head-to-toe assessment on a fresh post-op or newly admitted ICU patient?
What they are checking: whether their baseline assessment habits are thorough and systematic, not just reactive
What's your experience with ICU-specific monitoring, like arterial lines, CRRT, or advanced hemodynamic monitoring?
What they are checking: actual hands-on exposure to the equipment this unit uses versus general inpatient experience
Practice this interview out loud.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.