Getting hired at Ensign Services is no easy feat. With their rigorous interview process, you’ll need to come prepared to showcase your clinical expertise, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills This comprehensive guide breaks down the top 20 most commonly asked Ensign Services interview questions, offering tips and sample responses to help you craft winning answers
Overview of Ensign Services
Before diving into the specific questions, let’s do a quick primer on Ensign Services. Founded in 1999, Ensign has grown into one of the largest providers of post-acute healthcare services in the US. They operate over 200 facilities offering skilled nursing, assisted and independent living, hospice, home health, rehab therapy, wellness programs, and other services.
Ensign distinguishes itself through its decentralized model that empowers local facility leaders to customize services to their communities. They focus on value-based care and innovative solutions to improve quality of life.
Insights Into Ensign’s Hiring Process
The hiring process is described as long, with multiple rounds of interviews over the course of about a month. Here’s what to expect
- Initial phone or video screening
- Shadowing administrators at facilities
- Panel interviews with administrators asking situational and behavioral questions
- Interviews with administrators nationwide and headquarters staff
- Potential case studies to assess clinical knowledge
The atmosphere is friendly yet rigorous. Come prepared to demonstrate your qualifications at every stage.
Now let’s get into the top 20 questions:
1. Developing a Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Question: Can you describe a comprehensive treatment plan you developed for a patient with a complex condition, and how you measured its effectiveness?
Tips: Showcase your clinical expertise in assessing complex needs, using evidence-based interventions, and continually evaluating outcomes. Emphasize patient-centered care.
Sample Response: For a patient with multiple chronic conditions like diabetes, heart failure, and kidney disease, I took a multifaceted approach, creating interventions to target each issue. This included medications, diet and lifestyle changes, and close monitoring of relevant biomarkers. I measured effectiveness through clinical indicators like HgA1c, ejection fraction, and GFR, along with patient-reported quality of life. I continually reviewed the data to make adjustments as needed, leading to improved outcomes and satisfaction.
2. Staying Current on Evidence-Based Practices
Question: How do you stay current with the latest evidence-based practices in your specialty?
Tips: Demonstrate proactive learning through credible sources. Discuss how you put new evidence into practice.
Sample Response: I make learning a priority by reading clinical journals, attending conferences, and networking with peers to discuss emerging practices. I implement a regular schedule to review new research and work with my team to translate findings into updated protocols through case reviews and in-services. Staying current ensures I can provide the best care.
3. Patient and Family Education
Question: Discuss your approach to educating patients and families about home care and exercises.
Tips: Show your ability to simplify complex instructions and confirm comprehension. Note the use of visuals and empathy.
Sample Response: I avoid jargon and take time to explain the why behind recommendations. I use diagrams and ask patients to demonstrate exercises to check understanding. I’m mindful of emotions and pace education accordingly. My goal is to empower patients to implement our plan and improve outcomes.
4. Improving Patient Adherence
Question: What strategies do you use to handle a situation where a patient is not adhering to their prescribed therapeutic regimen?
Tips: Express empathy and a collaborative approach. Discuss motivational techniques.
Sample Response: First, I try to understand their perspective through open communication. I re-explain the importance of the regimen and offer to simplify instructions. I partner with the patient to set manageable goals that provide a sense of accomplishment. If needed, I use motivational interviewing techniques to uncover their motives and resolve ambivalence around change. My priority is maintaining a supportive relationship.
5. Adapting Communication Style
Question: Describe a time when you had to adapt your communication style to effectively collaborate with an interdisciplinary team.
Tips: Share a specific example. Demonstrate emotional intelligence and adaptability.
Sample Response: When implementing a new protocol across nursing, pharmacy and PT, I noticed each area had different concerns. I actively listened to understand all viewpoints. When discussing technical details, I used more layman’s terms with non-clinical staff. With clinicians, I took time to explain operational impacts. This helped develop a cohesive plan that improved satisfaction and outcomes.
6. Managing a Diverse Patient Load
Question: How would you manage your workload if assigned multiple patients with varying functional levels?
Tips: Highlight organizational skills, collaboration, and the ability to prioritize.
Sample Response: I would utilize a patient acuity rating system to allocate my time according to urgency of need. I communicate closely with team members to coordinate care. I am prepared to adjust my schedule as needs change. My focus remains on providing safe, timely interventions through collaborative teamwork.
7. Assessing and Documenting Progress
Question: Explain how you assess and document patient progress during therapy.
Tips: Demonstrate a systematic approach using objective data. Note regulatory compliance.
Sample Response: I use validated instruments like the PHQ-9 along with observations during sessions to gauge progress. I document results in the EHR during each visit, including time, assessment method, and outcome data, following all privacy regulations. Clear documentation is key for continuity of care across providers.
8. Improving Quality and Safety
Question: In what ways have you contributed to improving patient safety and quality of care at your workplace?
Tips: Share a specific example demonstrating critical thinking, leadership, and initiative. Quantify results if possible.
Sample Response: As part of a falls prevention task force, I conducted root cause analysis to identify gaps in our fall protocols across departments. I helped implement new standardized procedures for fall risk assessment and post-fall huddles for mitigating future risk. In 6 months, we achieved a 20% reduction in falls.
9. Managing a Challenging Neurological Case
Question: Share an example of how you’ve handled a particularly challenging case involving neurological disorders.
Tips: Demonstrate clinical expertise, creative problem-solving, and compassion.
Sample Response: I once cared for a patient with rapidly progressing ALS. Recognizing the complexity, I coordinated across specialties to maximize the patient’s quality of life. We utilized emerging evidence to tailor interventions for symptom management. My priority was respecting the patient’s wishes through open communication with the family regarding prognosis and planning. It was a deeply meaningful experience.
10. Proficiency with EHRs
Question: Describe your experience with electronic health records and ensuring accurate, timely documentation.
Tips: Highlight your technical knowledge, attention to detail, and commitment to regulatory compliance.
Sample Response: I have 3 years experience optimizing EHRs, including EPIC and Cerner. I enter data in real-time during patient visits to enhance accuracy. I employ techniques like double-checking entries against paper charts. I stay current through trainings to leverage advanced EHR functions for improved documentation workflow. Compliance is ensured through strict adherence to protocols.
11. Improving Quality of Life
Question: Discuss a specific intervention that significantly improved a patient’s quality of life.
Tips: Demonstrate compassion, creative problem-solving, and measurable outcomes.
Sample Response: My elderly patient with COPD was having frequent exacerbations and hospitalizations. I implemented a multimodal program including pulmonary rehab, nutritional counseling, and personalized education that led to a 40% reduction in admissions. The patient reported a dramatically improved ability to perform daily activities.
12. Building Rapport with Resistant Patients
Question: What methods work for building rapport with patients who may be apprehensive or resistant about therapy?
Tips: Express empathy, patience, and adaptability. Share examples of bridging communication gaps.
Sample Response: I start by listening closely to understand their perspective without judgement. I reframe therapy in a way that resonates with their goals. With a gardening enthusiast, I used metaphors around cultivating the mind. Meeting patients where they are is key to building trust and cooperation.
13. Time Management and Prioritization
Question: How do you prioritize tasks and manage time effectively when providing direct care?
Tips: Discuss proven systems like triaging and active coordination with team members.
Sample Response: I utilize a triage system to categorize tasks by urgency and potential clinical impacts. I communicate closely with my team to coordinate care and remain flexible as patient needs change. Tools like prioritized to-do lists and EHR task management functions help optimize my workflow.
14. Adapting Therapeutic Techniques
Question: Give an example of how you have adapted standard therapeutic techniques to accommodate a patient’s needs.
Tips: Demonstrate creativity, empathy, and measurable improvements.
**Sample
Ensign Group employee reviews
Based On 5 Ratings
The pay was fair
No one really cared about the residents and those of us that do were chased off
I don’t know anything about the CEO, and I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy with how his business was run either.
I would hire people with integrity.
I was just myself
No idea I really dont know nor have I put any thought towards that. I just think something needs to be done about the way the residents are being treated.
Enriching the lives of the residents.
Management does not care nor support staff and residents. We were constantly short staffed, with no supplies. It was crazy how often we ran out of wipes and had to use wet paper towels. Every night, a nurse would have to wash chucks so we could have some. Management never came in when short staffed. We never had a problem hiring new people, but the good workers always quit after a month or two because the workplace was so bad. I felt so bad for the residents. So many suffered because of poor staffing and lack of continuity in their care. I saw nurses berate residents on the regular. There were not enough staff, so residents often complained about the food and being left in wet briefs for hours. Management did nothing about it. This company should be ashamed of how much money they are making by mistreating their workers and especially the people who live in the area. Do better Ensign Group. When they say they’ll give you great benefits and a great place to work, they don’t keep their word for long. Corporate needs to really go in and ask residents and lower employees what they could do better at.
THEY DO NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTE THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS. If you work the morning shift and are put in the center of the building, you can expect 10 to 12 residents, while everyone else has 9 residents (as long as we don’t run out of staff). If you work in the East part of the facility during the PM shift, you can expect 15 residents while everyone else has 12. That’s how it is right now. NOC shift is always short-staffed as staff members call in habitually, so expect 20-24 residents every so often. I used to work the morning shift full-time, and twice a week I would have three showers to do by myself in one day. Other days, I wouldn’t have any because the showers aren’t given out based on how many people live in each section. They might say that they have a “shower person,” who is a magical CNA who does all the showers. However, this hasn’t been the case for a while now because of all the call-ins this facility gets, and the shower person has to take a section, so we have to do our own showers. The PM shift never has someone take a shower, so I had to do two or three a shift. THEY DO NOT PAY STAFF FAIRLY. They strung me along and kept telling me they would give me a raise. When the minimum wage went up, I had to ask for a raise. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten one. I worked for the company for more than a year and was paid $14 an hour, which is less than the $15 an hour a new graduate they hired made. When I told the administration about this, he was full of himself and didn’t want to pay me the same $15, even though my review was perfect and I kept taking shifts. They told me I was one of the best CNAs, but they wouldn’t pay me the same as someone who is always late and has only been a CNA for six months. Because they worked at night, the new graduate was making more, and he asked me if I wanted to work the NOC shift. I pick up for the NOC shift because they often have call-ins, and I’ve worked the NOC shift full-time for three to four months during the holidays. But thanks to them for showing me who they are as I got offered $17 elsewhere. Dont settle. Two CNAs who had worked here for more than three years were getting paid less than new graduates. They had to ask for a raise and were put through a lot of trouble before management agreed to give them $15 an hour, the same amount as new hires. This is not fair. If I work in an environment that promotes the message: “Customer Second: When we take care of our.
The autonomy and creativity provided in the role. The culture was supportive of positive professional relationships, accountability and innovation.
The allegedly flat organizational structure is more covertly hierarchical than any other explicitly hierarchical traditional company Ive encountered. This created extremely confusing mixed messages across the org. Also, there wasn’t enough communication between the strategy and the execution. People were given responsibility but were left to figure everything out on their own.
Very good benefits, including tech, an expense card, and access to all the tools I needed to do a great job for my coworkers across the country.
Ensign Group Financial Performance
We calculated the performance score of companies by measuring multiple factors, including revenue, longevity, and stock market performance.
Ensign Group currently has 3.0B in revenue. Ensign Groups most recent quarter produced 940.8m (q32023).
