Registered Nurse (RN) - Inpatient Float Pool
Posted Sep 14, 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 to float into a unit you weren't used to. How did you get up to speed fast enough to be safe?
What they are checking: whether the candidate has a real process for orienting quickly rather than just claiming adaptability
Describe a time you disagreed with a charge nurse or another team member about a patient's plan of care. What did you do?
What they are checking: conflict handling and whether they escalate concerns appropriately without becoming a problem on someone else's unit
Tell me about a night shift where things went sideways fast, a patient decompensated or something unexpected happened. What did you do first?
What they are checking: clinical judgment and composure under pressure on night shift with less immediate backup
How do you introduce yourself to a team on a unit you rarely work, and how do you earn their trust within the first hour of the shift?
What they are checking: interpersonal skill and self-awareness about being the outsider on a unit
Have you done any charge nurse work or informal leadership on a shift? What did that look like?
What they are checking: leadership readiness, since the role includes charge nurse cross-training
Tell me about a time you had to give a handoff report to a team that didn't know you and had limited time. How did you make sure nothing got lost?
What they are checking: communication rigor in handoffs, which is higher risk for float staff moving between units
What would you do
Say you're floated to the ED boarding area and you have four boarded patients with very different needs, plus a new admission is about to arrive. How do you prioritize?
What they are checking: triage and prioritization skill under the specific ambiguity of a boarding unit
If you arrive on a floor and the unit's workflow for something basic, like documentation or med pass, is different from what you're used to, how do you handle that in the moment?
What they are checking: flexibility and humility when entering someone else's established routine
How would you handle a patient who is escalating verbally and possibly becoming physically aggressive, especially if you're less familiar with that unit's de-escalation protocols?
What they are checking: safety judgment and knowledge of de-escalation versus restraint procedures
With self-scheduling and a required weekend every six weeks plus holiday rotations, how do you think about balancing that kind of unpredictable schedule?
What they are checking: realistic buy-in to the scheduling demands rather than surface agreement
About the work
Tell me about your experience with telemetry monitoring. What kind of rhythm changes have you caught and acted on?
What they are checking: actual clinical competency in telemetry, since this is a core unit they'll float into
What's your experience with ICU-level patients who have transfer orders? Have you ever had to manage one before the transfer actually happened?
What they are checking: comfort with higher acuity than standard med-surg, since float pool may cover ICU overflow
What's your comfort level with IV ultrasound and starting difficult IV access, and have you used it in practice?
What they are checking: specific technical skill named in the training list, checking current baseline versus what needs training
What does your experience with Med-Surg patients tell you about the biggest safety risks on that unit, and how do you watch for them?
What they are checking: depth of med-surg clinical knowledge given the 18 to 24 month experience requirement
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As published by Advocate Health.