The budget’s approved and the positions are posted. Now all you need to do is to find the right LPN to join your staff. You know that hiring a nurse is more than just setting up an interview as a manager. Also, you need to be sure that the person you hire will be a good fit for your job and will stay for a while.
We’ll share the most effective LPN interview questions to help you land the perfect match. Use this interview guide to fix staffing shortages and prevent future turnover. Want to learn more about the job market to help you hire better? Check out how other companies are advertising their LPN openings on our job board to get ideas for how to make your facility stand out.
Getting hired as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at ShiftMed, a leading healthcare staffing agency, is an exciting opportunity to join a rapidly growing company. With demand for skilled nursing professionals on the rise, ShiftMed is looking for talented LPNs to fill critical roles across the country.
If you have an LPN interview lined up with ShiftMed, it’s time to put in the prep work needed to really impress the hiring managers In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share the 21 most common and critical interview questions asked for ShiftMed LPN roles Master these nurse interview questions and you’ll showcase that you have exactly what they need in a top LPN candidate.
Let’s jump in and get you ready to ace your ShiftMed interview!
Why ShiftMed LPN Interview Prep Matters
ShiftMed’s interview process is designed to thoroughly evaluate LPN candidates to ensure you have the clinical knowledge, technical nursing skills, bedside manner, communication abilities and personality fit needed to thrive in their nursing assignments.
Some key areas they assess include:
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Clinical experience – Your depth of knowledge and technical nursing skills related to medications, treatments, procedures and patient care. Having strong fundamentals here is vital.
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Communication skills – How clearly and compassionately you interact with patients and colleagues. This is critical for succeeding in any nursing role.
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Problem-solving – How you apply critical thinking to identify issues and implement solutions. LPNs need to be able to react quickly and effectively.
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Teamwork – Your ability to collaborate with your nursing team and medical staff. A cooperative attitude is essential.
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Flexibility – Openness to varied assignments, work settings, and scheduling. Adaptability is key for travel nursing roles.
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Cultural competency – Providing empathetic care to diverse patient populations. This is integral for any healthcare provider.
Preparing for the types of ShiftMed LPN interview questions below will help you highlight these capabilities so you can ace your interview and get hired!
Top 21 ShiftMed LPN Interview Questions and Answers
Here are the 21 most common licensed practical nurse interview questions asked by ShiftMed along with effective responses:
General Nursing Interview Questions
1. Tell me about your nursing experience as an LPN.
- Provide an overview of your nursing journey – where you’ve worked, key responsibilities, top skills acquired. Emphasize how this experience makes you a strong candidate.
2. Why are you interested in working with ShiftMed?
- Show enthusiasm for their mission, culture, career growth opportunities. Highlight your alignment with ShiftMed’s values and flexible work model.
3. What interests you about this particular LPN position?
- Note specific details that appeal – setting, patient population, skills utilized. Tie it back to your career goals and strengths.
4. What qualities do you believe are most important for an effective LPN?
- Emphasize clinical excellence, empathy, communication, adaptability, attention to detail, teamwork. Use examples of how you embody these.
5. Where do you see your nursing career in 5 years?
- Demonstrate your passion for lifelong learning and career growth, be realistic based on LPN scope of practice. Focus on making an impact now.
6. How would your colleagues and supervisors describe you?
- Share positive traits like hardworking, team player, passionate about patient care, dedicated, good listener. Give brief examples.
7. Why did you initially pursue a career in nursing?
- Share your inspiration story. Emphasize your compassion for helping people and commitment to outstanding patient care.
8. How do you handle the stress of working in healthcare?
- Discuss healthy coping mechanisms you use like exercise, meditation, talking with colleagues, leaving work at work. Emphasize patience and composure.
Scenario-Based Nursing Interview Questions
9. One of your patients is in pain and becoming irritated. What would you do?
- Acknowledge their feelings, evaluate their pain level, administer medications as needed, provide reassurance, notify the doctor, document thoroughly.
10. You notice a colleague is struggling to insert an IV into a patient. How would you respond?
- Ask if you can assist, provide words of encouragement, guide them if needed, maintain patient comfort and safety. Offer to get another experienced nurse to help.
11. How would you interact with a anxious patient awaiting surgery?
- Approach them with compassion and active listening. Explain what you are doing step-by-step. Address their specific concerns and provide reassurance. Encourage questions.
12. A patient’s family member becomes angry that you won’t provide confidential medical details. What do you do?
- Listen calmly and with empathy. Explain you cannot share protected health information without patient consent per HIPAA policy. Offer to see if the patient will approve sharing details with the family member. Seek guidance from your supervisor if needed.
13. You notice a more experienced nurse performing a procedure incorrectly. How would you handle this situation?
- Intervene professionally and with discretion. Politely make the correct procedure known. Offer to demonstrate the proper technique. If needed, discretely alert the charge nurse to prevent risk of patient harm.
Nursing Technical & Situational Interview Questions
14. How do you stay up-to-date on the latest nursing practices and protocols?
- Reading nursing publications, taking continuing education courses annually, attending conferences when possible, participating in online nursing communities to exchange knowledge.
15. What qualities do you believe are most important for an effective shift nurse?
- Time management, organization, ability to multitask, teamwork, communication, adaptability, composure under pressure, clinical expertise. Provide examples that highlight these qualities in yourself.
16. How do you ensure accurate medication administration?
- Following the six rights – right patient, drug, dose, time, route and documentation. Double checking medications and dosages. Using current references. Asking clarifying questions when unsure. Performing regular self-audits.
17. How would you respond if a physician prescribed a dosage or medication you were unfamiliar with?
- Politely verify the order. Look up medication details from pharmacology resources. Ask clarifying questions about indication, administration instructions, precautions. Review the order with the pharmacist or charge nurse. Notify the physician if concerns arise.
18. How do you keep patient information confidential?
- Following HIPAA guidelines closely – only accessing essential records, securing devices, lowering voices when discussing patients, using privacy curtains, obtaining consent before releasing information.
19. What infection control precautions would you take when inserting a urinary catheter?
- Perform hand hygiene, don PPE (gown, gloves, mask, protective eyewear), use sterile procedure, maintain a sterile field, disinfect after removal, properly label specimen, document.
20. You are asked to perform an unfamiliar procedure on a patient. What do you do?
- Be honest that I have limited experience with the procedure and would not feel comfortable performing it without guidance. Offer to assist or observe a more experienced nurse completing it first to expand my skills. The patient’s health and safety comes first.
Behavioral Interview Questions for LPNs
21. Tell me about a time you made a medical mistake. How did you respond?
- Share a real example. Emphasize taking accountability immediately, correcting the mistake, implementing solutions to prevent recurrence, and apologizing sincerely to the patient. Focus on the lessons learned.
Put Your ShiftMed LPN Interview Prep to Work
Preparing clear and compelling responses to these common licensed practical nurse interview questions is key to demonstrating your clinical capabilities and bedside manner. Use these tips and examples to craft your own authentic answers showcasing your nursing skills and alignment with ShiftMed’s needs.
Get ready to confidently answer situational scenarios and behavioral questions. Review your responses until you can deliver smoothly and thoughtfully. With thorough prep, you’ll be ready to excel in your ShiftMed interview and get one step closer to landing your dream nursing job! You’ve got this.
Tell me about a time when you were under stress on the job. How did you handle it?
Scenario-based LPN interview questions allow candidates to share their experiences from past situations. This gives the nurse an opportunity to reflect on their problem-solving skills. If a new graduate gets stuck on this question, tell them to use an example from nursing school or another job.
Describe a time you did something at work without being asked. What was the outcome?
Nurses are faced with many decisions each shift — ones that affect patients’ lives. Find out whether your candidate is prepared to think independently and follow the chain of command when needed.
This is an example of a situational interview question. It helps you dig into a nurse’s soft skills like initiative and communication. It’s important to choose interview questions for LPNs that give you a sense of their clinical judgment in addition to hands-on nursing skills.
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FAQ
What makes a good shift nursing interview?
Why should we hire you LPN?
What has motivated you to become a practical nurse?
