Registered Nurse Interview Questions
- Content Team
- April 1, 2024
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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.
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.
Applicant Tracking, Recruitment Marketing, Sourcing and Talent CRM software are powerful alone, but unstoppable when used together!