Registered Nurse (RN) -Inpatient Rehab
Posted Sep 9, 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
Tell me about a patient you cared for on a rehab or med/surg unit who was recovering from a stroke or major surgery. How did you approach their care differently than you would on a general medical floor?
What they are checking: whether the candidate actually understands the slower, function-focused nature of rehab nursing versus acute med/surg
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physical or occupational therapist about whether a patient was ready for a certain activity or discharge. What did you do?
What they are checking: comfort working within a true interdisciplinary team where nursing is not the sole decision-maker
Have you ever taken charge nurse responsibilities? Tell me about a shift where you had to manage assignments or handle a problem across the whole unit, not just your own patients.
What they are checking: readiness for the preferred charge experience and leadership under real unit pressure
Tell me about a patient or family member who was frustrated with the pace of recovery or the discharge timeline. How did you handle that conversation?
What they are checking: therapeutic communication skills for a population often dealing with loss of independence and slow progress
Describe a time you had to escalate a change in a patient's condition quickly. What did you notice first, and what steps did you take?
What they are checking: clinical judgment and speed in recognizing deterioration, which matters even on a rehab unit
What does patient-centered care mean to you in the context of someone relearning how to walk, dress, or feed themselves after an illness or injury?
What they are checking: genuine alignment with the rehab philosophy of care versus a generic answer about compassion
What would you do
Walk me through how you would coordinate a patient's day when they have physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy sessions all scheduled, plus medications and wound care that need to happen too.
What they are checking: ability to organize care around an interdisciplinary schedule, which is central to how this unit runs
This is a night shift role, 7pm to 7am. What has your experience been working nights, and how do you stay sharp and alert for a 12 hour shift with rotating weekends?
What they are checking: realistic fit with the actual schedule, since many candidates apply without weighing the shift commitment
A patient on your unit who is recovering from a hip replacement tries to get up and walk to the bathroom alone at 2am against their care plan. What do you do in that moment and afterward?
What they are checking: fall prevention judgment specific to a rehab population with mobility restrictions
How would you handle a shift where you have four or five patients, one of them is agitated or confused, and you also need to prep two patients for discharge that day?
What they are checking: prioritization skills under a realistic patient load with competing demands
About the work
How do you assess and document a patient's functional progress, things like mobility, transfers, or activities of daily living, over the course of their stay?
What they are checking: familiarity with the functional, goal-based documentation that distinguishes rehab nursing from acute care charting
What is your process for a full head-to-toe assessment on a patient who is recovering from a stroke, and what specific things are you watching for that would concern you?
What they are checking: clinical assessment depth appropriate to acute rehab patients with neurological or musculoskeletal deficits
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.