Certified Nursing Assistant Interview Questions

The goal for a successful interview for Certified Nursing Assistant is for the interviewer to assess the candidate’s knowledge and skills related to basic patient care, handling medical equipment, and communicating effectively with patients and the healthcare team.

Situational interview questions

• You are a Certified Nursing Assistant and you realize that one of your patients is exhibiting symptoms of an infection. What are the steps you take to ensure the patient receives appropriate treatment while minimizing the risk of the infection spreading to others?
• As a Certified Nursing Assistant, you notice a conflict between two patients in your care. What steps would you take to address the situation and resolve the conflict?
• A patient in your care is refusing to take his/her medication. How would you handle this situation and ensure the patient receives the necessary medication for their treatment plan?
• You notice that a patient is struggling with their mobility and is having difficulty getting out of bed. What actions would you take as a Certified Nursing Assistant to help the patient safely move and prevent falls?
• A patient is experiencing a high level of pain. How would you assess the situation, communicate with the patient, and coordinate with other members of the healthcare team to ensure the patient receives the appropriate pain management?

Soft skills interview questions

• How do you handle situations when a patient is upset or anxious, and what strategies do you use to calm them down?
• Can you give an example of a time when you had to work as a part of a team to provide care for a patient? How did you collaborate with your colleagues to ensure success?
• Describe a time when you had to adapt to a new work environment or procedure. How did you handle the situation?
• What do you believe is the most important quality for a nursing assistant to have, and how do you ensure you possess that quality?
• How do you approach communication with patients and their families? What techniques do you use to ensure effective communication, and how do you deal with potential language or cultural barriers?

Role-specific interview questions

• What is the most important skill a CNA should possess in order to provide effective patient care?
• How would you handle a situation where a patient is non-responsive and requires immediate medical attention?
• Describe your experience in monitoring vital signs and interpreting the results. What measures do you take when there are abnormalities?
• Can you give an example of a time when you had to work collaboratively with a team of healthcare professionals to manage a patient’s care plan? What was your role in the team?
• Explain the proper technique for transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair. What precautions do you need to take to minimize the risk of injury for the patient and yourself?

STAR interview questions

1. Tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult patient situation as a Certified Nursing Assistant?

Situation: Explain the specific situation you were encountered with a patient.

Task: What was your role or responsibility in that situation?

Action: What steps did you take to handle the situation?

Result: What were the outcomes of your actions towards the situation?

2. Describe a time when your clinical skills as a Certified Nursing Assistant helped in providing patient care?

Situation: Share the instance where you had to apply your clinical skills to care for a patient.

Task: What duties were you assigned to in that scenario?

Action: What actions did you take to use your clinical skills to provide the best care?

Result: What were the outcomes of your actions towards care?

3. Can you tell me about a particular time when you had to communicate effectively with a patient’s family as a Certified Nursing Assistant?

Situation: Tell me about the situation or issue where you had to communicate with the family members of your patient.

Task: What were your responsibilities in that task?

Action: What steps did you take to communicate effectively with the family members?

Result: What was the result of your communication?

4. Have you ever faced a challenging medical emergency as a Certified Nursing Assistant and how did you handle the situation?

Situation: Explain the specific medical emergency that you had to deal with.

Task: What were your duties assigned to you at that time?

Action: What medical actions or procedures did you use to handle the medical emergency?

Result: What was the outcome of your actions?

5. Can you share a patient experience that taught you a lesson as a Certified Nursing Assistant?

Situation: What is one experience with a patient that you had that taught you a valuable lesson?

Task: What was your role or responsibility in that situation?

Action: What steps did you take and what did you make changes to your approach towards patients?

Result: What was the result of your lesson learned?