It is the dream of every candidate that’s appearing for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LNP) job interview to get shortlisted. So, one of the things that you need to know is as an applicant (interviewee) is that “it’s unwise to appear for an interview without making any preparation or research about the interview”
Yes, that true because some people who are looking for a job get very confused when they face the panel of their interviewer; this is where the candidate deals with the diverse LPN job interview questions.
Nevertheless, there are different ways to present your case excellently. It is quite proper that you can’t control the interviewer, the company, and even the general interview procedure and nothing other than strategic planning and excellent preparation which will not only help you to have confidence in yourself but will also enhance your chances of being successful in the interview.
You are also advised to go through some of the interview questions and pay attention to the LPN position frequently asked interview questions.
On this page, we have provided some of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) questions for the post seekers. We’ve done our best to successfully compile the LPN questions which will prepare you for the interview.
At the beginning with the career related questions, the person interviewing you will try to first of all gather some necessary information about the candidate appearing for LPN interview.
We may not be able to predict the questions which your interviewer will ask you, however, there are some common questions which you can expect.
Such questions include: Can you tell me about yourself? Why do you want to work here? Why should we choose you over others? Why did you choose practical nursing as your career? The above questions asked are what you should likely expect in the LPN interview questions.
I know that it’s quite difficult to get a perfect idea about the apex questions, nevertheless, you can improve the chances of your selection by practicing the frequently asked nursing interview questions.
Those applying for the job should avoid excessive overstatement about anything since interviewers habitually like answers that are simple, honest and as well confidentially answered.
You can check below for Licensed Practical Nurse Interview (LPN) positions Interview questions for the interviewees.
Questions to be Asked by the interviewer
1. Why did you choose to become a Licensed Practical Nurse?
This question is one of the most frequently asked questions during the LPN job interview.
However, this question is not that difficult to answer. Alternatively, the interviewer might ask some of the same questions like, “what inspires you to choose a nursing career?” “Why did you become a licensed practical Nurse?” But, apart from the technique of asking, answers to all these questions are all the same but vary from applicant to applicant.
Those applying for the Job are advised to consider this question with an open mind and ask themselves the same. By so doing, an honest, truthful and impressive answer will pop up your head, naturally.
2. Why do you want to work in this Facility?
This is another LPN interview question that you will come across and it’s commonly asked by the interviewer. Nevertheless, the answer to this question is not complicated.
By asking this question, your interviewer makes sure that what you know about the facility is what makes you stand a better choice than others.
This is also a good way to know if the applicant has compared more than one company/facility. To answer this question, you have to completely research the facility/company.
3. How do you deal with pressure and stressful situations?
Questions like this also appear to the interviewee to know if he/she is able to cope with the possible work stress/pressure while working in the facility.
Nursing is a mentally and physically challenging job. Practical nurses might have to deal with adverse and emergency situations.
The shift can be long and exhausting. There will be patients of diverse nature and medical needs which will add to the stress.
4. Tell us about your strengths
Questions of this nature may seem exceeding tricky and also easy depending on how you go about answering it.
Without any doubt, I know certainly that everybody has a particular set of strengths, however, the relevant strengths that can be helpful during the course of the job are the ones you should focus on.
Your strengths may include hard working, positive attitude, calmness, and problem-solving, nevertheless, whichever strength that you decide to tell, try to be honest and truthful and also try to avoid unnecessary embellishment.
5. What are your Weaknesses?
I can imagine that some of you applying for the LPN position will consider this question to be difficult to answer. It would be unwise to avoid preparation to answer a question such as this, as it is equally vital, if not more to ensure you get the job.
You should not give in to confusion while considering how to tackle this question as a simply stating your weaknesses honestly whilst avoiding the ones which could make you look bad, is the way out. It is quite important that you do not say you possess no weaknesses. Apparently, you are human, and all humans do.
6. Do you consider yourself a Team worker or Individual worker?
This question seems tricky. It might also be confusing and will have you racking your brain as to which to choose from the two.
Here’s an expo; the answer to this question lies within the ordinary duties of a practical nurse. The practical nurse needs to work as a team and in some cases work alone.
7. What would you do if a family member complains about negligence in a the patients’ ward?
The main focus of this question is on the capability of a nurse to solve problems. Sometimes in their daily routine work, a practical nurse may come across many undesirable or unfavorable situations.
Several of these situations are linked to the health of the patient and some of this might occur when a nervous family member loses his/her temper due to carelessness in the patient care unit.
8. If a fellow Nurse is breaking a certain policy of the facility, what action would you take?
This is another question that will likely come to you during your interview. It can be a fundamental question. Nevertheless it becomes more important because an error can affect the health of a patient as well.
The central idea behind the interviewer asking you this question is whether you(the applicant) are responsible, honest or not.
9. What is your long-term career goal
Some interviewers do tactically ask this question in various ways. The interviewer might ask you as an employee of this company/facility, where do you see yourself in the next five years? They may also ask you it this way; “what would be an ideal state of your career?”
Mostly, applicants answer saying they would want to become head of a particular department or promoted to a higher level, but that is not what the interviewer wants to hear. By asking you this question, the interviewer wants to make such that you set some important thought into this profession you want to advance in, find out if you have a vision or a long-term career strategy, or if you are really passionate about the profession you are entering into.
10. Tell me about yourself
Tell me about yourself is the first question you should expect from your interviewer.
This is what best starts the conversation between you and the interviewer. It also helps the interviewer to get some ideas about your potentials, communication skills, and enthusiasm.
Try being real since your resume contains a lot of information about you.
11. Why should I hire you?
This question wants you to state those unique advantages you possess and would bring to the faculty/company, which sets you apart from other applicants.
It is a different form of this question “Why do you think that you are the best candidate for this job?”
12. Are you ready to relocate or travel for the job?
This is another question that one should expect during the interview process. However, it is not all facilities/companies that require the employee to routinely relocate or travel.
Also, no matter if the company or the position you are applying for doesn’t necessitate relocation, a question like this can still be thrown to you during the interview.
By asking you this question, the interviewer may be trying to see if you are prepared to do whatever it takes to be part of the company.
13. If hired, how long would you work with this facility?
Questions like this do come up since it is the fact that when a facility/company hires employees, the aim of the facility is to make an investment.
As a result of this, the interviewers commonly have preference to applicant who would work with the company for longer times.
14. What would you do if you noticed certain symptoms in a patient who is suffering from a certain disease and why?
The question above may likely come to you as an interviewee since being a practical nurse requires you to have several skills other from technical skills.
Every practical nurse needs to be patient, calm, enduring, peaceful and ever ready to handle emergency situations. This question falls under the scenario questions.
See Also: Recruitment Past Question Practice
15.Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult patient.
Some patients can be difficult and tough. A good nurse must show the ability to deal with them. So, this is an important question that is often asked during nurse interviews.
To effectively answer this question, ensure your answer portray you as a compassionate, problem-solving and critical thinking nurse. If you are an entry-level applicant, you can narrate to your interviewer any story about collaborating with a difficult colleague.
16. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This question can mean ‘do you enjoy working as a nurse to continue with it long-term?’ The interviewer wants to find out if you are just trying to fill in a vacancy. Ensure you inform your interviewer that nursing is your dream job. Mention how you intend to develop and grow your expertise in the job within five years and ensure you divulge your plan on how to achieve that. Ensure you understand the rudiments of the nursing profession.
Although this set of nursing interview questions are not as popular as the one we have explained above, a lot of them are still being asked in nursing interview today. Ensure you practice and prepare a answer for them.
They include:
- Are you at ease working with other nurses and doctors?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Why do you want to work here?
- Would you call yourself a team player?
- Why should we hire you?
- Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult coworker.
- When were you proudest of your healthcare team?
- Describe a time when things got hectic. How did you handle it?
- Tell me about a time you effectively educated a patient or their family.
- Describe a time when you handled a leadership role.
- Tell me about a time you spotted upcoming problems with a patient.
- Describe a time when you didn’t know how to deal with a healthcare issue.
- Have you ever accidentally caused a conflict?
- Tell me about a time you had to persuade a patient about something.
Questions Applicants Should Ask
The interview for the LPN position seekers is a two-way process of knowing if both the facility and the interviewers are fit for each other.
As an applicant, you should not be afraid to ask the necessary questions about the facility and the job.
Asking these questions will not only clear your doubt but also show that you are a sensitive kind of person. These are the questions for you as an applicant to ask;
1. What are the duties of a Licensed Practical Nurse in this facility daily?
Some people do think that they already know about the duties of a practical nurse in an health care, but you still have to ask them for more clarifications.
2. What is the standard nurse to patient relation in this facility?
This is one of the essential questions that you need to ask your interviewer since it may vary from one healthcare facility to another.
3. Would you give me a bit of an idea about the co-workers I will be working with?
It is a good question to ask since you want to know about people that you are to work with or work under.
4. Would the facility provide me any training once I join?
Most company/facility do offer training to their candidates. However, not all facilities that do this.
5. How will I be trained?
This question is also sequel to the above asked question, because some facility may send you abroad for the training while some will still be in the facility.
6. Will I have to go through a drug test if I get selected?
Avoid asking questions question like this since all nursing facilities and hospitals do carry out drug test.
7. What would be my salary?
Sometimes you may not ask this question, because it may create a bad impression of you. It would make it appear you are after the money and not saving lives.
Other questions nursing applicants can ask during the nursing interview include:
- What kind of training do you offer?
- What’s the culture like here?
- What’s your policy for tuition reimbursement?
- Which system do you use for EMR?
- What’s your requirement for weekend rotation?
- Can you tell me about your staffing ratios?
- What do the other nurses like most about working here?
- What’s your policy on overtime?
- How long are the shifts?
- How do you measure nursing success?
Yes, that’s it, Now If you have any questions on this, feel free to drop it in the comment section below and do well to share this using any of our share buttons – Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp or Google+