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Registered Nurse (RN) OPC-Recovery (Pre-op/PACU)

Advocate Health · Elgin, IL · $38.20–$57.30 an hour · Part time

Posted Sep 29, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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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

ACLS is preferred or completed during orientation. Tell me about your experience with cardiac emergencies.

What they are checking: Comfort with emergency response in a recovery setting.

The schedule alternates two and three days a week with start times between 6 and 9:30 a.m. How does that fit your life?

What they are checking: Realistic fit with a variable part-time schedule and the Saturday call rotation.

Tell me about a time you had to speak up during a time-out or pre-procedure check.

What they are checking: Willingness to stop a process when something does not match, which prevents wrong-site errors.

What would you do

Your patient in PACU after an endoscopy with sedation has a dropping oxygen level and isn't waking well. What do you do?

What they are checking: Airway management and recognizing oversedation quickly.

A patient after a pain procedure says their legs feel weak and numb. What are you thinking?

What they are checking: Knowing which post-procedure symptoms are expected and which need the physician right away.

How do you keep the flow moving when procedures run late and pre-op is backing up?

What they are checking: Time management and communication in a fast outpatient setting.

About the work

This role covers pre-op holding and PACU for GI, pulmonary, pain and ophthalmology cases. What do you check in pre-op to make sure a case is ready?

What they are checking: Knowing pre-procedure checks like consent, NPO status, labs and medication holds.

How do you decide when an outpatient is ready to go home after a procedure?

What they are checking: Using discharge criteria safely rather than rushing patients out.

How do you teach discharge instructions to a patient who is still a little groggy?

What they are checking: Making sure the instructions are also given to the ride home so the patient stays safe.

How do you care for a patient after an eye procedure?

What they are checking: Knowing the basics of ophthalmology recovery, such as eye protection and medication instructions.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 37715 Advocate Sherman Hospital - Recovery: O/P Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 20 Schedule Details/Additional Information: • Scheduled Monday - Friday: Start times can vary between 0600-0930 depending on surgical schedule typically 8 hour shifts. • Schedule: This role operates on an alternating weekly schedule, with 2 days worked one week and 3 days worked the next. • Call required - Saturday call rotation 0800-1400 about every 6 weeks. • Pre-op holding and PACU (recovery) of GI, Pulmonary, Pain, Ophthalmology • ACLS certification preferred or completed during orientation period. Pay Range: $38.20 - $57.30 Sherman Hospital Elgin, IL Registered Nurse (RN) • Registered Nurse (RN) – Out Patient Recovery RN • Pre-op/PACU • Part Time • 20 Hours a week • Level 2 Trauma • Scheduled Monday - Friday: Start times can vary between 0600-0930 depending on surgical schedule typically 8 hour shifts. • Schedule: This role operates on an alternating weekly schedule, with 2 days worked one week and 3 days worked the next. • Call required - Saturday call rotation 0800-1400 about every 6 weeks. • Pre-op holding and PACU (recovery) of GI, Pulmonary, Pain, Ophthalmology • ACLS certification preferred or completed during orientation period. • Competitive Benefit Package • Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, Tuition Reimbursement on Day 1 of employment! Responsible for providing and coordinating comprehensive patient care through the nursing process to deliver safe, therapeutic care in accordance with established standards, policies and procedures. Using evidence-based practice, clinical decision making, compassion and skilled communication, leads efforts to create the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum. Major Responsibilities: • Uses the nursing process to assess the needs of the patient, plan and implement individualized interventions and evaluate the effectiveness of the plan of care. Includes the patient and family in planning and implementing care and develops and maintains a therapeutic relationship throughout the healthcare continuum. • Anticipates and recognizes significant changes in the patient’s condition, status, and need for care. Provides ongoing assessment of the patient and takes appropriate actions when changes occur. Anticipates and alters the plan of care as needed, mobilizes appropriate resources, and collaborates with other health care team members to coordinate patient centered care. • Implements strategies to reduce patient risk and increase patient safety. Assesses patient and family readiness to learn and individualizes the approach as necessary. Works collaboratively to develop strategies to meet the learning needs of the patient and family. • Actively coordinates the discharge plan utilizing an interdisciplinary approach. Applies evidence-based practice to deliver patient care. Consistently incorporates nursing and regulatory standards of care into practice. • Provides ongoing evaluation of patient, team, and unit outcomes and is empowered to take appropriate action when changes are needed. Supports shared governance activities and initiatives to improve processes and patient outcomes. • Demonstrates effective communication, feedback, and conflict resolution skills. Promotes collaboration among healthcare team members. Assumes a leadership role in the care team and delegates appropriately to unlicensed personnel. • Promotes a culture of safety through identifying threats to patient safety and intervening to prevent patient harm. Reports patient safety events and near misses in a timely manner. Seeks to identify potential safety issues and assists in the implementation of corrective actions. • Applies ethical decision making, demonstrates respect and understanding for peers, and other clinical disciplines. Participates as an effective member of the patient care team to formulate an integrated, unbiased, individualized approach to care. • Participates in quality/process improvement initiatives to improve the functions of the department and the patient care experience. • Participates in professional activities which contribute to personal professional development and the development of others. Seeks opportunities to be taught, coached, and mentored. Attends required meetings/educational programs and completes annual competencies in a timely manner. • Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards. Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required: • Registered Nurse license issued by the state in which the team member practices, and • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA). Education Required: • Completion of an accredited or approved program in Nursing. Experience Required: • Typically requires 1 year of experience in clinical nursing. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Demonstrates progression to provide holistic patient care and the ability to view clinical situations from a patient and family focus. • Demonstrates progression to recognize situational changes that require unplanned or unanticipated interventions, and responds to situations with confidence, timeliness and flexibility. • Proficient computer skills, use of electronic mail and electronic medical records systems. • Excellent communication (written and verbal), listening and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrates human relation skills with the ability to develop rapport and maintain positive, professional relationships with a variety of patients, team members and physicians. Ability to take initiative and work collaboratively with others. • Demonstrated ability to effectively make critical, independent decisions. • Excellent organization, prioritization and problem-solving skills. • Demonstrates time management skills with an ability to multi-task and prioritize in an environment with frequent interruptions. • Demonstrates coordination, collaboration, delegation and team building skills. Certification Addendum: • Team members will maintain annual educational requirements for hospital based certifications (e.g. DNV, CARF or others) Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, reach above shoulders, and twist frequently throughout the workday. • Must be able to: • lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist. • lift up to 20 lbs. over the head. • carry up to 40 lbs. a reasonable distance. • Must be able to: • push/pull with 30 lbs. of force. • perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present. • Position requires use of foot pedals on carts or machines. • May be exposed to chemical and hazardous waste as well as blood and body fluids and communicable disease. Therefore, protective clothing and equipment must be worn as necessary. • Must have functional speech, vision, hearing, and touch with ability to use fine hand manipulation skills for IV insertion and other procedures/functions. • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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