Registered Nurse (RN) - ICU
Posted Sep 15, 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 a time you had a patient who was crashing and you had to act before the physician was at bedside. What did you do?
whether the candidate can recognize deterioration and initiate appropriate interventions independently under pressure
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician or intensivist about a plan of care. How did you handle it?
comfort advocating for patients while maintaining a collaborative relationship with the on-site intensivist team
Tell me about a shift where you had to work closely with a CNA, health unit coordinator, and respiratory therapist to get a patient stabilized.
whether the candidate actually functions well in the team-based care model this unit describes
Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly on the job, like a new piece of equipment or a new protocol.
adaptability, since this is a growing unit preparing for expansion and likely evolving protocols
Why ICU, and why here at Grafton specifically?
genuine motivation for critical care versus using it as a stepping stone, and fit with this particular unit's culture
Technical
Walk me through how you would manage a patient in septic shock who is on pressors and needs frequent titration.
hands-on knowledge of vasoactive drips, hemodynamic monitoring, and titration protocols common in ICU
A patient just came back from cardiovascular surgery and you're getting report. What are you specifically watching for in the first hour?
familiarity with post-op cardiac surgery recovery, given the unit's cardiovascular surgery population
What is your approach to managing a ventilated patient who is fighting the vent or becoming agitated?
depth of respiratory failure management experience, matched to this unit's patient population
How do you keep track of your assessments, meds, and orders across a 12-hour night shift so nothing slips through the cracks?
personal organization and documentation discipline over long night shifts
What does ACLS actually change about how you respond to a code, compared to BLS alone?
whether the certification is backed by real understanding, not just a card on file
Situational
How do you prioritize when you have two patients and both start to decompensate at the same time?
clinical triage judgment and ability to stay organized under simultaneous high-acuity demands
A family member is at the bedside, upset and asking for more information than you're able to give about prognosis. What do you do in the moment?
communication skills and boundaries around scope, especially with critically ill patients and anxious families
Tell me about a time a patient needed to be restrained or de-escalated. How did you decide that was necessary and how did it go?
judgment and safety awareness for the verbal de-escalation and restraint tasks mentioned in the physical requirements
Nights, rotating weekends, and rotating holidays are part of this schedule. How do you personally manage your energy and focus on a 1900 to 0730 shift?
realistic self-awareness about sustaining performance on the specific shift pattern this job requires
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 loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.
More registered nurse icu roles
Related jobs
Registered Nurse (RN) - ICU
Posted Sep 15 · Verified Sep 20
Registered Nurse (RN) - ICU
Posted Sep 16 · Verified Sep 20
Registered Nurse (RN) - ICU
Posted Sep 17 · Verified Sep 20
Physical Therapist (PT) - Acute Care and Emergency
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20
Medical Assistant (MA)/LPN - OB/GYN
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20
Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Family Medicine - Full Time
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20