JobsAdvocate Health

Registered Nurse (RN) - Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

Advocate Health · Chicago, IL

Posted Sep 15, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

Apply at Advocate Health

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time a patient's airway became compromised while they were recovering from anesthesia. What did you do?

hands-on experience managing a real airway emergency and staying calm under pressure

Tell me about a time you had to manage a patient who woke up combative or confused from anesthesia.

skill in de-escalation and keeping both the patient and staff safe during emergence delirium

Describe a time you caught a problem with pain management or medication dosing right after surgery before it became serious.

clinical vigilance and comfort speaking up to anesthesia or surgical teams

Tell me about a time you had to give a family member difficult news or manage their anxiety while their loved one was still unstable in recovery.

communication skills with families under stress, which matters heavily in a fast-turnover recovery unit

This role includes call and rotating start times between 6a and 9a. How have you handled unpredictable scheduling in past roles?

realistic expectations and reliability around the specific scheduling demands of this job

Technical

Walk me through how you assess a patient in the first few minutes after they arrive in PACU from the OR.

whether the candidate has a systematic, standardized approach to airway, breathing, circulation, and level of consciousness right after handoff

How do you decide when a patient meets discharge criteria to move from PACU to the floor or home?

familiarity with standard scoring tools like Aldrete and whether judgment is grounded in objective criteria, not just gut feel

What's your experience with ACLS and PALS in real situations, not just certification renewal?

whether certifications reflect actual applied skill rather than a checkbox

Situational

A patient in your bay starts showing signs of malignant hyperthermia. What do you do first, and who do you call?

knowledge of a rare but high-stakes protocol and whether they know the chain of escalation without hesitating

This unit covers PACU, Same Day Surgery, and Pre-Op depending on staffing needs. How do you handle being moved between different types of patient care on short notice?

flexibility and whether they can quickly reorient to different acuity levels and workflows

You have three patients recovering at once and one starts trending toward hypotension while another is ready for report to the floor. How do you prioritize?

triage skills and ability to manage competing demands without losing track of any one patient

How do you approach handoff communication with the anesthesiologist and surgeon when something didn't go as expected in the OR?

whether they can advocate for the patient and communicate clearly across disciplines without friction

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Advocate Health from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 37710 Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center - PACU Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: 4 10 Hour Shifts Start Times 06a-09a Pay Range: $38.20 - $57.30 Registered Nurse (RN) – PACU Chicago, IL (Lakeview Neighborhood)  Full time; 4-10’s a week with rotating start times between 6a-9a Call required Where You Will Work: Responsible for providing post-surgical recovery to patients. This position covers staffing as needed for PACU, Same Day Surgery, and Pre Operative Services. We’re Looking For: • Completion of an accredited or approved program in nursing • Registered Nurse license issued by the state of Illinois • Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association and ACLS. PALS to be obtained within 3 months of hire • Minimum 2 years of nursing experience PACU, ICU or ED What You’ll Do: • As a skilled and compassionate RN, you will play a pivotal role in 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 skills communication while leading efforts to create the safest patient environment and the best patient experience across the continuum. About This Location: Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center’s history spans 100 years of caring for the community in the heart of Lakeview in Chicago, IL. The hospital is state-of-the-art 397-bed, non-academic teaching hospital. A new tower opened Fall of 2025. Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Accolades include: • Level I Trauma Center • EDAP • Primary Stroke • Level III Perinatal • LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equity • NAPBC / NAPRC • CARF Be the Nurse Who Redefines Care. At Advocate Health, being a nurse means more than delivering exceptional clinical care—it means leading with purpose, compassion, and boldness. As part of our One Advocate Nurse community, you’ll join a unified team committed to lifting others up, embracing innovation, and creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. You’ll be empowered to think boldly, collaborate with humility, and drive change through fearless curiosity. Whether you're at the bedside, in the community, or advancing care through research and education, you’ll help shape the future of health—because here, we’re redefining care for you, for us, for all. Your feedback matters. Every nurse’s voice is vital in shaping our culture and improving care. We value your insights and experiences because they help us grow stronger together.  Ready to Take the Next Step: Apply Now! 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.

Apply at Advocate Health

Related jobs

Physical Therapist (PT) - Acute Care and Emergency

Advocate Health · Elgin, IL

Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20

Medical Assistant (MA)/LPN - OB/GYN

Advocate Health · Franklin, WI

Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20

Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Family Medicine - Full Time

Advocate Health · Summit, WI

Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20

Registered Nurse (RN) - Orland Park

Advocate Health · Orland Park, IL

Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20

GI Scheduler

Advocate Health · Chicago, IL

Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20

Supervisor Clinical Physician Practice (Orland Park)

Advocate Health · Orland Park, IL

Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20