Registered Nurse (RN) – Medical Surgical/Telemetry 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
Tell me about a shift where you floated to a unit you weren't used to. How did you get oriented fast enough to keep patients safe?
What they are checking: whether the candidate has a real method for absorbing a new unit's layout and workflow quickly rather than just hoping for the best
Tell me about a time a unit's staff was less than welcoming to you as a float nurse. How did you handle it?
What they are checking: resilience and interpersonal skill working as an outsider on someone else's turf, shift after shift
Describe a time you had to quickly learn a new charting system or unit-specific protocol. What did you do when you got stuck?
What they are checking: adaptability to different documentation systems and comfort asking for help without stalling care
Tell me about a time you disagreed with another nurse or charge nurse about a patient's plan of care. What happened?
What they are checking: conflict resolution skills and whether they can advocate for patients without becoming a problem for permanent staff
Tell me about a time you had to speak up during a code or rapid response even though you weren't the primary nurse for that patient.
What they are checking: willingness to act decisively and communicate clearly in high-stakes moments as a temporary team member
What draws you to float pool work specifically, rather than staying on one home unit?
What they are checking: genuine motivation and fit for the variety and lack of routine this job is built around
What would you do
Walk me through how you'd prioritize your first hour on a Med/Surg unit if you're handed four patients you've never met, including one who just came back from a telemetry transfer.
What they are checking: clinical prioritization and triage skills under the pressure of unfamiliar patients and time constraints
If you're on an ED boarding assignment and a boarded patient starts to deteriorate but the unit's usual resources aren't readily available to you, what do you do?
What they are checking: judgment about escalation and knowing who to call when the safety net looks different from your home unit
If you get a patient with transfer orders to ICU level of care while you're floating, what's your process for making sure the handoff is safe?
What they are checking: understanding of escalation of care and communication protocols during a critical transition
This role asks you to self-schedule, work one weekend every six weeks, and pick up a summer and winter holiday. How do you think about balancing that kind of flexibility with your own life?
What they are checking: realistic buy-in to the float pool's scheduling demands before it becomes a retention problem
About the work
What's your experience reading telemetry strips, and can you describe a time you caught a rhythm change that needed action?
What they are checking: actual competency with cardiac monitoring, not just comfort saying the word telemetry
How many years of Med/Surg or Telemetry experience do you have, and what kinds of patients have you cared for most often?
What they are checking: whether the candidate actually meets the 18-month to 2-year experience bar this role requires
How comfortable are you with IV starts, including using ultrasound guidance, and what's been your experience with difficult sticks?
What they are checking: hands-on skill level relevant to the IV ultrasound training this role provides, and honesty about current gaps
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.