Registered Nurse (RN) Intensive Care Unit
Posted Sep 15, 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 time a patient in your ICU started to crash and you had to act before the physician was at the bedside. What did you see, and what did you do first?
What they are checking: whether the candidate can recognize early decompensation and act within nursing scope without waiting on orders
Tell me about a shift where you had more than one unstable patient at the same time. How did you decide where your attention went first?
What they are checking: prioritization and triage skill under real ICU acuity and staffing constraints
Tell me about a time you caught a change in a patient's condition that others had missed. What tipped you off?
What they are checking: assessment vigilance and pattern recognition, core to ICU safety
Tell me about a difficult conversation you had with a family about a patient's prognosis or end-of-life decisions. How did you approach it?
What they are checking: comfort with high-stakes communication and compassionate care under pressure
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician's plan of care. What did you do?
What they are checking: ability to advocate for patients while maintaining professional working relationships
What would you do
A trauma patient comes in as a level 2 trauma activation with multiple injuries and an unclear airway status. What are you assessing first, and what's your plan if the airway starts to fail?
What they are checking: clinical reasoning and airway management readiness specific to trauma ICU work
You're floated an extra critical patient on a night when the unit is already tight on staff. Walk me through how you'd handle your assignment and what you'd escalate to the charge nurse.
What they are checking: ability to advocate for safe staffing and manage workload realistically
How do you approach a patient handoff when transferring someone out of the ICU to a step-down unit or another facility?
What they are checking: understanding of continuity of care and communication standards during transitions
You notice a colleague is missing steps in infection control while working with a patient on isolation precautions. What do you do in the moment and afterward?
What they are checking: commitment to safety culture and willingness to address peer performance
This unit works 7 to 7 shifts with every third weekend and rotating holidays. How do you manage your energy and focus across a full shift like that, especially near the end of a stretch of shifts?
What they are checking: realistic fit with the schedule demands and self-awareness about fatigue management
About the work
How do you titrate vasoactive drips like norepinephrine or vasopressin, and what tells you it's time to call the physician versus adjust on your own within protocol?
What they are checking: depth of hands-on critical care medication management and understanding of nursing scope boundaries
Describe your experience with ventilator management, sedation vacations, and weaning protocols. What's your role in that process day to day?
What they are checking: technical fluency with core ICU equipment and evidence-based protocols
What's your process for a patient who needs a lift or repositioning and can't assist, especially if you're working with limited staff on the floor that shift?
What they are checking: awareness of safe patient handling policies and willingness to follow them even under pressure
Where are you in your BSN or certification path, and how are you thinking about meeting that requirement within the timeline here?
What they are checking: whether the candidate meets the credentialing requirements and has a realistic plan for compliance
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.