1. Tell me why do you want to be a nurse?
Most people are going to answer something along the lines of “Because I like nursing.” This is fine but a bit boring. You should use anecdotes and stories about your personal experience to liven up your response so that you seem more like a person than a nursing automaton regurgitating memorized information.
2. Tell me what motivates you to work in the nursing field?
Critical situations and tough patients motivate me. In my last job, I was confronted with a patient, who was not handled by a number of nurses, later I took charge of him and solved his problem by understanding his situation. I really love to overcome challenges.
3. What is your greatest failure as Practical Nurse?
In my first job, I made a mistake in the patient's chart. Fortunately, my supervisor noticed it. Since then, I always double- check my charts.
4. Explain me do you have experience working as part of a team or managing a team?
Practice nurses are not usually required to be strong team leaders. It's usually the practice nurses themselves who are led as part of a team. They receive instructions from senior personnel and help them.
5. Tell me what is the most difficult part of being a nurse?
According to me, the most intricate part of being a nurse is having a patient, who suffers from an incapacitating disease, which is incurable.
6. Tell me do you have any professional affiliations?
Absolutely, I feel it's important to stay informed about trends and news in the nursing profession. I'm a member of the [insert association here], and the [insert association here].
7. Please explain what your current/former boss would say about you?
The interviewer is basically looking for clues that will shed light on your work ethic and interpersonal skills. Direct quotes work well. "Jill always said I was dependable" is a direct quote that says a lot.
8. Tell me what do you find most difficult about being a nurse?
I think for me, the most difficult part of being a nurse, is when I have a patient that is very uncomfortable, or in a lot of pain, and I cannot comfort them.
9. Tell me how would you know you were successful on this Licensed practical nurse job?
There are several ways to assess: You set big challenges for yourself and met them. Your achievement is a big success. Your boss told you that you were successful.
I am sure that I was successful. I have dreamt to work for your company and I can do anything to make my dream become true. And I am really interested in this job, for my passion not for money.
10. How much will I make as Practical Nurse?
This is a highly inappropriate question to ask, especially during a first interview. Asking this question can lead the interviewer to believe that salary is more important to you than the actual position… not a good impression to make. Unless the interviewer brings up salary, be patient with this as well.
11. Explain to us how you perform under pressure?
The settings in which nurses work can quickly turn into pressure-cooker environments. To be blunt, the interviewer does not want to hire anyone who is so emotionally fragile that they'll shatter like plate glass when faced with the day-to-day pressures of the job.
12. Tell me how would you handle a patient who complains about everything?
I would first ensure that the patient had no valid complaints, and then just be patient and reassuring that we were doing everything we could for them.
13. Tell me do you have experience administering first-aid or emergency treatment?
Practice nurses may be required to do that in certain situations. Their task is to monitor recuperating patients and they are most often the ones to be nearby when an emergency situation arises. You can also add an explanation of how first-aid or emergency procedures are applied, or give an example that actually happened.
14. What is your biggest strength as Practical Nurse?
Employers often ask for greatest strength or strengths during an interview. This can provide valuable insight into a nurse and their self-concept. Take the time to think about a complete and honest answer to this question. Do not misrepresent or exaggerate yourself to sound good. Everybody has their own strengths. It is important to recognize these and highlight them. Common answers to this question can include: patience, intelligence, problem solving ability, dealing with stress, interacting with patients or their families, etc. The list of possible answers to this question is almost unlimited. The important thing is to be confident but not arrogant. Be assertive and proud of your strengths!
15. Tell me how would you deal with a doctor who was rude?
If the doctor was not happy with my care of a patient in some way, I would want to know how, so I could take corrective action to remedy the situation. If I needed to, I would even bring the question to my supervisor for help resolving the issue.
16. Tell me a difficult situation and describe how you handled it?
If you have healthcare experience, they want to know how you have dealt with angry doctors, emotionally upset families, or difficult patients. If you lack healthcare experience, you can discuss a difficult situation that occurred in school or a previous workplace.
17. What duties would this position entail as Practical Nurse?
No matter how much research you do on the organisation, the only way you will have a clear picture as to what exactly will be expected from you is by getting that information directly from the interviewer. Although the job of an LPN is generally the same, duties may differ slightly from organization to organization, state to state and department to department.
18. Explain me who will I be working with?
This question is a simple one yet can make a huge difference in the day to day functioning of your job as an LPN. Some LPN's are the leader of their unit, supervising over nursing assistants, CNA's, or personal care assistants. In this case the primary individuals being worked with would be subordinates and the nurse bears responsibility not only for their care but care of those being supervised. Of course, LPN's are always supervised by a Registered Nurse or a physician, however they may not be physically present at all times. Sometimes LPN's work with a team of other LPN's to ensure duties are completed. Nurses are always part of a larger healthcare team but it is good to get an idea of who primary interaction will be with, after the patients of course.
19. Where do you see yourself in the future as Practical Nurse?
Flippant and humorous answers should be avoided. Since the intention is to seem like a motivated individual capable of making serious commitments, you should discuss your goals for your career in the nursing profession. Depending on the time frame mentioned in the question, you might want to adjust your response for more realistic outcomes.
20. Explain me why are you leaving your current job as Practical Nurse?
My previous job taught me so many things and developed necessary qualities required to be a proficient nurse. But now, there is no room for growth, and I am looking forward for new challenges to thrive in nursing.
21. Tell me why do you want to work as a CNA?
Provide an answer showing your passion to work in the health care field but with your own personal touch. Say something like, “I have known since I was a child that I wanted to work in a job where I could truly help others and know that I want to enter the health care industry in some way. When I was in high school, my grandmother became too ill for us to care for her on our own. My family hired a home health agency to provide nursing care for her. Now my grandmother is doing very well and I truly believe a lot of that is because she had such wonderful nurses. I decided to become a CNA because I would like to help others the way those lovely ladies helped my own grandmother.”
22. What do you think of your previous boss as Practical Nurse?
My last boss at the hospital where I worked taught me the importance of time management. He was extremely deadline-driven and wouldn't take excuses if the job wasn't done properly and on time. His no-nonsense approach pushed me to work harder and manage my case loads much more efficiently.
23. Explain me what you know about _____ nursing?
Insert any nursing specialty into the blank space provided. You will stand out to the interviewer as a candidate who truly has passion about the specialty if you know more about it than the average person. If your dream is to work as a nurse in a well-baby nursery, you'd better be knowledgeable about the area in which you envision yourself working.
24. Tell me what measures have you taken to upgrade your knowledge?
I enrolled myself in an advanced course for improving my managerial skills and also attended various seminars for enhancing interpersonal skills.
25. Explain me how do you react when you get a tough patient?
I realize that some patients are more difficult to deal with than others, whether it is because of their medical condition or because they have a certain disposition. At my previous job, I came across an elderly gentleman who was extremely cantankerous because of dementia. Right away, I tried to find the cause for his anger. I eventually discovered that it was because he was experiencing physical pain. When I took steps to remedy that pain, he calmed down a little, and we were able to treat him properly.
Since I first got into nursing, I've always strived to cultivate empathy for patients, and that has helped me immensely whenever I come across someone who seems like they may not want to be helped.
26. What is your biggest weakness as Practical Nurse?
This is commonly asked before, after, or together with the previously mentioned question. When preparing for this common question, take the time to really think about your weaknesses and how you can improve them. Be honest with yourself and find areas where you need personal or professional improvement. There are several ways to approach this question. One way to answer this question with a positive spin is answering by stating a weakness in which you have or are currently improving. This shows a potential employer that you are conscientious and capable of self-improvement. Consider the following example:
“Being organized was not always my strong point; however at my last job I worked with a co-worker whom I admired for her time management ability. She helped me to develop a system for time management and organizing my day. This has helped me and I plan to continue my self-improvement.”
In this sample response the nurse identifies a potential weakness, organizational skills, then goes on to explain how they recognized the weakness and are attempting to fix it. Another great way to answer this question is to focus on nonessential skills. These are skills that are not necessarily needed to complete a job. For example, as a nurse communication skills are very important. Some nurses are great at communicating one on one with patients or in small groups with family members yet they lack the ability for public speaking to larger groups of people. If this is true, be honest. State your weakness but don't forget to also emphasize the strength that goes with it.
27. How long until I can get promoted as Practical Nurse?
Asking this question during an interview can lead to the interviewer inferring that you are not really interested in the position you are applying for. While it is great to have aspirations of promotion and moving upwards on the career ladder, be careful how this is worded. A better question to ask would be “Is there room for promotion with this position?” This shows you are interested in advancing but also interested in the position you applied for.
28. Tell me what makes you prepared to be a nurse?
You could launch into a spiel about your education and your nursing experience, but that can seem unfocused. Instead, you should use your experiences to highlight personal strong points that will make you better suited to handling the duties and responsibilities expected of the nursing position in question. For example, if the position requires extensive patient-centered care, you might want to discuss how your experiences taught you to easily communicate medical information to people unfamiliar with the jargon.
29. Tell me do you belong to any nursing organizations?
The interviewer may ask this question of an LPN who has worked before or is currently working. Nursing organizations provide a good forum for networking and skills development. What the interviewer is trying to find out is whether you are committed to the profession enough to want to continue to grow your knowledge by spending more than just the required hours at work. Answer by supplying the names of the organizations to which you belong; if you do not belong to any state that you are interested in joining a local organization.
30. Tell me what interests you about working at this particular facility?
Quite honestly, it is your cardiac care unit. As I mentioned earlier, I have a particularly strong interest in cardiology and you hospital has has one of the top three cardiac units in the country.
I really want to get as much nursing experience as I can with cardiac patients in a hospital that is leading the way with the latest heart research and procedures. Your facility has a very good reputation for its programs and population and I believe I can gain a lot by working here.
31. Tell me how would you transfer a patient from a bed to a wheelchair?
Some of the patients that you will come into contact with may not be able to move independently and need to rely on the nursing staff to assist them. As an LPN you need to know how to move a patient from a bed to a wheelchair and vice versa without hurting them. The interviewer in this case wants to know that you understand the correct procedure for transferring a patient.
32. Tell me why do you want to work in the healthcare sector?
I believe that with this profession, I can make a difference, and make people feel better. Seeing so many people in pain and misery motivated me to practice nursing.
33. Please explain how would you handle a patient who complains?
I would consult the on-duty doctor's opinions about the patient to see if he has been suffering from any pain or distress, then, I will work out the most suitable approach.
First, I shall try to comfort the patient and calm him down. Then, I ask about his problem and discuss with the on-duty doctor if necessary to resolve that.
First, I will listen carefully to his complaint and consider the situation carefully. Then, I will reassure the patient by sharing my sympathy with him and figure out what I should do to help him.
34. Tell me what inspired you to be a nurse?
This is a question all nurses should be comfortable answering. This question is asked during almost every interview. There are various forms of this question including: “Why did you become a nurse?” or “What made you decide to become a nurse?” No matter how it is phrased this question is an important one. This question is one that is aimed at the core of every nurse. If you haven't thought about this yet, think about it now! There are various reasons for wanting to become a nurse. Many want to help others, some are inspired by other family members or friends, still others are intrigued by the medical side of nursing and like the gory details. Most likely the answer is multi-faceted and complex. There is no wrong or right answer to this question, just be sincere and truthful to yourself.
35. Do you know what is the nurse-to-patient ratio?
Finding out how many patients, residents, or clients you will be responsible for is very important. This can vary extremely and can depend on patient acuity, facility standards, and legal requirements. There are no specific federal standards for the number of patients allowed per nurse. In high acuity environments this can be as low as 1 to 3 patients, however this is not typical. In today's healthcare working environment nurses are often stretched to their limits. This nurse has been responsible for medications, treatments, wound care, and documentation for 35 patients. Some nurses report caring for upwards of 50 patients per shift. This is not typical either but it does happen. The important thing to remember is that each patient is receiving adequate care. If patient load is too high to permit this, speak up! Also be sure to work as part of a healthcare team. Utilize and collaborate with nursing assistants, other LPN's and RN's. Also remember, while a patient load may seem high at first, once you are comfortable with the job and start to establish a routine you should be able to care for everyone easily.
