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Registered Nurse - Surgical Care

SSM Health · WI · Part time

Posted Oct 1, 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

Tell me about a time you noticed a change in a patient before anyone else did. What tipped you off and what happened next?

What they are checking: Whether their assessment skills are sharp enough to catch subtle trends, and whether they act on a hunch with data.

This schedule is rotating, with two 12s and an 8 each week and every third weekend. How do you take care of yourself on a rotating schedule?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the schedule they are signing up for and have a realistic plan to stay safe and rested.

Describe a time a family member was angry about their loved one's care. How did you handle it?

What they are checking: Staying calm and respectful with upset families while still protecting the patient's care and the team's time.

What would you do

Walk me through how you start a shift on a surgical floor when you pick up five post-op patients at once.

What they are checking: Whether they triage by risk, such as fresh post-ops and unstable vitals, instead of simply going room by room.

You've called the surgeon twice about a concern and they've brushed it off. The patient isn't getting better. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will use the chain of command for patient safety even when it feels uncomfortable with a physician.

You're behind on charting, a call light is on, and a new admission is coming up from PACU. How do you sort it out?

What they are checking: Real-time prioritization, including what can wait, what cannot, and when to ask a teammate for help.

About the work

A patient eight hours out from abdominal surgery has a heart rate climbing from 88 to 118 and says they feel off. What are you checking, and who are you calling?

What they are checking: Recognizing early signs of bleeding, sepsis or a clot, and escalating before the patient crashes rather than after.

How do you manage post-op pain when the patient is still in pain but their respiratory rate and sedation level are worrying you?

What they are checking: Balancing comfort against opioid safety, and knowing when to hold a dose and involve the surgeon or pharmacy.

What do you do in the first hours after surgery to prevent complications like pneumonia, blood clots and falls?

What they are checking: Whether prevention is a routine habit, like early mobility, incentive spirometry and clot prophylaxis, not an afterthought.

How do you teach a patient going home after surgery about wound care and warning signs so it actually sticks?

What they are checking: Discharge teaching that works, like teach-back and plain language, which keeps patients from coming back through the ED.

How do you make sure handoff to the next nurse doesn't drop anything important?

What they are checking: Whether they use a structured report and bedside checks, since most missed care traces back to a weak handoff.

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The full job description

As published by SSM Health.

It's more than a career, it's a calling WI-SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Worker Type: Regular Job Highlights: Join a team where your work matters—every moment, every patient, every community. At SSM Health, you'll be empowered to grow, supported to thrive, and inspired to make a lasting impact. In this role, you will provide hands-on support in a fast-paced care environment where every shift makes a direct impact on patients and families. Your attention to detail, compassion, and ability to work closely with clinical teams will help create a safer, smoother care experience. If you enjoy interacting with patients and want to grow in a collaborative care setting, this role is perfect for you. Department: Surgical Care Schedule: Part-Time, 24 hours per week, Night Shift (7p-7a), Every 3rd Weekend Apply today. SSM Health – We bring out the incredible in you, everyday. Job Summary: Provides direct nursing care in accordance with established policies, procedures and protocols of the healthcare organization. Job Responsibilities and Requirements: PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES • Uses standards of medical-surgical nursing practice to increase the quality of care and quality of life for the patient, family, and significant other(s) by systematically evaluating the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice. • Establishes effective relationships and serves as an advocate with the patient, family, and significant other(s) to facilitate the development of the care plan unique to the patient’s care needs. • Uses the nursing process to develop and implement the plan of care, collect assessment data for each patient, determine appropriate nursing diagnoses, identify expected patient outcomes, determine the plan of care, implement interventions, and evaluate patient outcomes. • Develops assessment and management strategies based on a consideration of the physical, functional, cultural, social, economic, developmental, spiritual, vocational, and leisure dimensions of human responses to actual and potential health problems. • Demonstrates knowledge of the impact of actual or potential illness and each patient’s physical, functional, cultural, social, economic, developmental, spiritual, vocational, and leisure status. • Utilizes leadership skills by coordinating and collaborating with the patient, family, significant other(s), communities, and members of the inter-professional team in assessing needs, setting goals, planning interventions, providing care, and evaluating outcomes. • Utilizes effective communication to participate with the patient, family, significant other(s), and other health care providers in collaborative decision making that reflects the understanding that care should be culturally sensitive, ethical, legal, holistic, informed, compassionate, and humane, and within the boundaries of available economic resources. • Educates the patient, family, and significant other(s) about measures that promote, maintain, and restore health or promote comfort. • Fosters a healthy work environment within the practice setting and profession by serving as a mentor and role model for nursing colleagues, students, and others. • Applies the existing body of evidence-based practice and scientific knowledge in health care to medical-surgical nursing practice, ensuring that nursing care is delivered based on patient’s age-specific needs and clinical needs as described in the department's Scope of Service. • Works in a constant state of alertness and safe manner. • May perform point of care testing according to policies and procedures. • Performs other duties as assigned. EDUCATION • Graduate of accredited school of nursing or education equivalency for licensing EXPERIENCE • No experience required PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Constant use of speech to share information through oral communication. • Constant standing and walking. • Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs. • Frequent sitting, reaching and keyboard use/data entry. • Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors. • Frequent use of smell to detect/recognize odors. • Frequent use of hearing to receive oral communication, distinguish body sounds and/or hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc. • Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs. • Occasional lifting/moving of patients. • Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting, gripping and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements. • Occasional driving. • Rare crawling and running. REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL LICENSE AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS State of Work Location: Illinois • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Professional Nurse (RN) - Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) State of Work Location: Missouri • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) - Missouri Division of Professional Registration • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State State of Work Location: Oklahoma • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) - Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) State of Work Location: Wisconsin • Basic Life Support HealthCare Provider (BLS HCP) - American Heart Association (AHA) • And • Registered Nurse (RN) Issued by Compact State • Or • Registered Nurse (RN) - Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Work Shift: Night Shift (United States of America) Job Type: Employee Department: 1002000007 Surgical Care (4SW) Scheduled Weekly Hours: 24 SSM Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SSM Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Click here to learn more.

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