Registered Nurse Interview Questions
The goal of a successful interview for a Registered Nurse is to demonstrate their strong clinical knowledge, ability to handle high-stress situations, and excellent communication skills with both patients and colleagues.
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Situational interview questions
- How would you handle a situation where a patient is experiencing a negative reaction to a medication and is in distress?
- What steps would you take if a patient is showing signs of respiratory distress and you are unable to get a hold of the attending physician?
- Imagine a scenario where a patient is refusing to take any medications prescribed to them. How would you go about addressing their concerns and ensuring they receive the necessary treatments?
- If a patient suddenly goes into cardiac arrest, what steps would you take to stabilize their condition before the arrival of medical emergency services?
- What would you do if you identified a discrepancy in a patient's medical records that could potentially lead to a medical error?
Soft skills interview questions
- Can you describe a time when you had to communicate complex medical information to a patient or their family in a way they could understand?
- How do you approach collaborating with other healthcare professionals on a patient's care plan?
- Describe a situation where you had to show empathy and/or build rapport with a patient who was experiencing significant physical or emotional pain.
- How do you handle difficult conversations with patients or their families, such as end-of-life discussions or navigating cultural differences?
- Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt to a change in a patient's condition or a new protocol in the workplace, and how did you navigate this situation?
Role-specific interview questions
- What types of patient monitoring equipment are you familiar with, and how do you use them to ensure patient safety?
- Can you describe your experience working with electronic health record (EHR) systems, and how do you ensure patient confidentiality and privacy when using them?
- How do you manage a patient's medication regimen, including dosages, administration methods, and potential side effects?
- What nursing interventions do you use to respond to patients experiencing adverse reactions to medications or treatments?
- Can you explain your knowledge and experience with different wound care protocols, including wound assessment, debridement, and dressing changes?
STAR interview questions
1. Can you tell me about a situation where you had to prioritize patient care in a critical situation?Situation - Critical patient care
Task - Prioritizing patient care responsibilities
Action - Utilizing the ABCDE assessment approach to triage patients, assigning the most critical patients priority care
Result - Successfully reduced wait times for critical patient care needs.
2. Describe an instance where you had to navigate a challenging patient or family member.
Situation - Challenging Patient Care/Family Member
Task - Resolve the issue and maintain patient safety
Action - Comply with facility policies, meet with the family and listen to their concerns, address concerns and provide an explanation
Result - Successfully managed to resolve the situation and improved overall satisfaction levels.
3. Can you think of a time when you identified a medication error and intervened?
Situation - Medication error
Task - Intervene to prevent harmful outcome
Action - Remove medication, document incident and report the error through the facility's incident reporting system
Result - Prevented medication error from occurring for the patient and implementing interventions to reduce future occurrences.
4. Can you describe a situation where you had to work collaboratively with multiple departments to provide patient care?
Situation - Patients requiring interdisciplinary care
Task - Collaborating with various departments to provide the best care
Action - Coordinating with physicians, case managers and therapy departments to obtain appropriate care for the patient
Result - Improved care outcomes and patient satisfaction levels through efficient interdisciplinary collaboration.
5. Tell me about a time where you had to implement a new policy or procedure on your unit?
Situation - Implementing new policy or procedure
Task - Communicating new changes and ensuring staff comply
Action - Conducting staff meetings, educating all members and ensuring proper documentation and policies in place
Result - Improved efficiency and compliance with facility policies and procedures, resulting in better patient outcomes.