Registered Nurse (RN) - Respiratory Intermediate Care Unit
Posted Sep 7, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 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.
Behavioral
Tell me about a time you caught a change in a patient's condition before it became a crisis. What tipped you off?
assessment skills and clinical vigilance, since this unit relies on catching subtle telemetry or respiratory shifts early
Tell me about a time you disagreed with a physician or resident about a patient's care plan. How did you handle it?
communication skills in a teaching hospital environment where residents are heavily involved in care decisions
How do you approach educating a patient or family who is anxious or overwhelmed about a ventilator or intermediate care setting?
patient and family communication skills for a population dealing with serious respiratory or cardiac issues
Tell me about a time you had to hand off a complex patient to the next shift. What did you make sure to include?
quality of handoff communication, critical on a unit with high-acuity, diverse patient populations
Describe a time a new nurse or student was struggling on your unit. How did you support them?
mentorship capacity, relevant to a Magnet teaching hospital culture that values growing others
Technical
Tell me about your hands-on experience with ventilators. What settings and troubleshooting have you actually done at the bedside?
whether the 'vent experience highly desired' preference is real and specific, not just familiarity from clinical rotations
A patient on your unit suddenly desats and their vent alarms are going off. Walk me through exactly what you do in the first two minutes.
clinical reflexes and correct escalation sequence for a respiratory emergency
How do you read and interpret telemetry strips, and can you describe a rhythm change that changed your plan of care for a patient?
depth of cardiac monitoring competency, since the unit covers medical, surgical, and cardiac telemetry patients
How do you stay current on evidence-based practice changes, and can you give an example of applying a new protocol on the floor?
commitment to evidence-based practice as emphasized in the posting, not just compliance
Situational
Walk me through a shift where you were managing a ventilated patient alongside a couple of telemetry patients. How did you prioritize your time?
whether the candidate can triage competing acuity levels safely on a mixed respiratory/telemetry unit
Describe a night shift where you had a heavier patient load than felt safe. What did you do?
willingness to escalate concerns about staffing or safety rather than silently absorb risk
This unit works rotating weekends, holidays, and 12-hour night shifts. How have you managed your energy and focus on a schedule like that in the past?
realistic self-awareness about sustaining performance on demanding night shift rotations
If you noticed a coworker cutting a corner on infection control or line care around a vented patient, what would you do?
integrity and willingness to intervene on patient safety issues among peers
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 loudThe full job description
As published by Advocate Health.
Related jobs
Physical Therapist (PT) - Acute Care and Emergency
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20
Medical Assistant (MA)/LPN - OB/GYN
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20
Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant - Family Medicine - Full Time
Posted Sep 19 · Verified Sep 20
Registered Nurse (RN) - Orland Park
Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20
GI Scheduler
Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20
Supervisor Clinical Physician Practice (Orland Park)
Posted Sep 18 · Verified Sep 20