Registered Nurse (RN) - Med Surg General
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
Tell me about a night shift where you had six or more patients on the med surg floor and had to decide who to see first. How did you prioritize?
What they are checking: whether the candidate can triage a realistic patient load on a busy general med surg unit rather than just describing ideal-case care
Tell me about a time you caught a mistake, either yours or someone else's, before it reached the patient.
What they are checking: honesty about error and commitment to a safety culture rather than covering things up
Describe a time you had to work closely with CNAs and LPNs to get through a tough shift. What did that division of labor look like?
What they are checking: understanding of team-based care model and respect for scope of practice across roles
Tell me about a shift that didn't go well. What happened and what would you do differently now?
What they are checking: self-reflection and growth mindset rather than defensiveness
What would you do
You're on a 7pm to 7:30am shift and around 3am a patient's condition starts to change but it's subtle, nothing dramatic yet. What do you do?
What they are checking: clinical judgment and escalation habits during low-staffed overnight hours when support is thinner
A family member on the unit is upset and raising their voice at the nurses station because they feel their loved one isn't getting enough attention. How do you handle that in the moment?
What they are checking: composure and communication skills for de-escalating stressed families without abandoning other patients
You're scheduled every fourth weekend and every other holiday. How do you think about sustaining yourself, physically and mentally, on that kind of schedule long term?
What they are checking: realistic expectations and self-care planning for shift work, since burnout and turnover are real risks on this schedule
Describe a situation where you disagreed with a physician's order or plan of care. What did you do?
What they are checking: advocacy skills and whether the candidate can raise concerns through proper channels without being passive or combative
About the work
Walk me through how you'd manage a patient with multiple chronic conditions, say diabetes, heart failure, and a wound infection, all at once. What are you watching for and what could go wrong?
What they are checking: depth of clinical reasoning across overlapping disease states, which is the core of this unit's patient population
How do you approach handoff communication at shift change, especially at 7am when the day team is coming in?
What they are checking: structured communication skills like SBAR and whether the candidate treats handoff as a safety checkpoint, not a formality
What's your process for medication administration on a unit where patients often have five or more scheduled meds plus PRNs?
What they are checking: rigor around med safety checks and awareness of interaction risks in a chronically ill population
How do you stay current on evidence-based practice changes, and can you give an example of applying a new guideline or protocol on the floor?
What they are checking: whether the candidate actively engages with evidence-based practice as stated in the job description, versus just doing things the old way
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.