RN Shift Supervisor-Surgical-Day Shift

Tell me about a time you helped a new nurse who was struggling with time management.

What they are checking: Whether they mentor and support new staff instead of just pointing out mistakes.

Tell me about a time you had to deliver hard feedback to a coworker.

What they are checking: Whether they can give clear, respectful feedback that leads to improvement.

What makes a shift run well from a supervisor's point of view?

What they are checking: Whether they have a clear idea of good outcomes for patients, staff and flow.

A post-op patient is showing early signs of sepsis and the nurse hasn't noticed. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they catch clinical problems while rounding and coach the nurse in the moment.

The floor has five discharges and four admits coming from PACU. How do you manage the flow?

What they are checking: Whether they can coordinate discharges and admissions so the surgical unit keeps moving.

A nurse refuses an assignment saying it's unsafe. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they listen to safety concerns seriously and look for a fair solution.

How do you support the unit manager when they're not on site?

What they are checking: Whether they can make sound decisions independently and keep leadership informed.

Walk me through how you'd make patient assignments on the surgical floor when acuity is high and staffing is tight.

What they are checking: Whether they balance acuity, skills and workload so no nurse is set up to fail.

How do you round with physicians in a way that helps the nurses and patients?

What they are checking: Whether they use rounds to clarify plans and pass information back to the bedside team.

How do you help prevent common surgical complications like falls, infections or blood clots on your unit?

What they are checking: Whether they promote prevention practices across the unit, not just with their own patients.