Registered Nurse
Interview Questions.
15 practice questions across 12 skills — each with what the interviewer is really listening for. Prepare with intent, not guesswork.
Free · No signup · Grouped by skill
How to use this page
Don't memorise answers. For each question, read what the interviewer is looking for, then practise answering out loud in your own words with a real example. The notes describe strong answers and common red flags — they are for your prep, not a script.
Patient Assessment
2 questionsWalk me through how you assess a patient at the start of your shift.
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong answers describe a systematic head-to-toe or focused assessment, reviewing history and comparing to baseline, and prioritising by acuity. A vague or unstructured approach is a red flag.
You notice a patient's condition deteriorating. What do you do?
AdvancedWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for reassessing, escalating early using a structured handoff (e.g. SBAR), and staying with the patient. Delaying escalation to avoid bothering a physician is a serious red flag.
Medication Administration
2 questionsWalk me through the checks you perform before administering a medication.
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong candidates cite the rights of medication administration, verifying allergies, dose, route, and patient identity. Skipping any verification step is a serious patient-safety red flag.
You realise you may have made a medication error. What do you do?
AdvancedWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for immediately ensuring patient safety, reporting honestly, and following incident procedure. Hiding an error is the biggest red flag possible in nursing.
Electronic Health Records
1 questionHow do you document care in the EHR accurately when you are extremely busy?
BasicWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong answers stress timely, accurate, objective charting because it is legal and clinical communication, and never charting ahead. Charting care not yet done, or careless documentation, are red flags.
Care Planning
1 questionHow do you build and adjust a care plan for a patient with multiple conditions?
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for prioritised, patient-centred, measurable goals updated as the patient changes, coordinated with the team. A static, generic care plan is a red flag.
Vital Signs Monitoring
1 questionWhich changes in vital signs would prompt you to act, and how quickly?
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong candidates recognise trends and danger thresholds, interpret vitals in clinical context, and escalate appropriately. Charting abnormal vitals without acting is a red flag.
Empathy
1 questionHow do you show empathy to an anxious patient and family while managing a heavy workload?
BasicWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for genuine presence, clear reassurance, and involving them in care even under time pressure. Treating patients as tasks is a red flag.
Working Under Pressure
1 questionDescribe a time you had to stay calm and prioritise during an emergency.
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong answers show clear prioritisation, following protocol, and teamwork under stress. Freezing or abandoning process under pressure are red flags.
Communication
1 questionA physician orders something you believe is unsafe for the patient. How do you handle it?
AdvancedWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for respectfully questioning and clarifying using facts, escalating through the chain if needed, and advocating for the patient. Blindly following an unsafe order, or open hostility, are red flags.
Infection Control
1 questionHow do you protect patients from infection in your daily practice?
BasicWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong candidates make hand hygiene and standard precautions second nature and speak up when others lapse. A casual attitude to infection control is a red flag.
Teamwork
1 questionHow do you hand off a patient to the next shift so nothing critical is lost?
BasicWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for a structured handoff covering status, pending tasks, and watch-outs, and inviting questions. Rushed, incomplete handoffs are a patient-safety red flag.
IV Therapy
1 questionWalk me through safe practice for starting and monitoring an IV.
IntermediateWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong answers cover verification, aseptic technique, site assessment, and monitoring for infiltration or reaction. Casual technique or skipping site checks is a patient-safety red flag.
Critical Thinking
1 questionHow do you apply critical thinking when a patient’s symptoms do not match the chart?
AdvancedWhat the interviewer is looking for: Look for trusting assessment, reassessing, questioning assumptions, and escalating rather than dismissing the mismatch. Ignoring a discrepancy because the chart says otherwise is a red flag.
Behavioural & role-general
1 questionWhy did you choose nursing, and how do you cope with its emotional demands?
BasicWhat the interviewer is looking for: Strong answers show genuine motivation and realistic, healthy coping strategies. No self-awareness about burnout or the emotional toll is a concern.