LPN interview questions and answers

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LPN Interview Questions

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN or LVN) provide basic patient care under the supervision of registered nurses (RN) or physicians. Their role is closely associated with human aspects of nursing like helping patients bathe. They may work in hospitals or nursing care facilities, most commonly in long-term care. Requirements for licensing and allowable duties vary from state to state, so make sure you learn as much as possible about the candidate’s background.

LPNs usually have limited decision-making duties. Yet, they need some critical-thinking to communicate important information about a patient’s condition. Great candidates will show a clear understanding of their position’s importance and ample motivation. They’ll be knowledgeable about daily procedures and possess excellent communication skills.

Use the following questions to help you evaluate candidates’ qualities. You can include relevant questions about experience in a specialized field or procedure. Questions about your facility are a good way to assess how interested candidates are in the position.

Operational and Situational questions

• If you were given instructions from a RN you didn’t agree with, what would you do?
• Imagine a patient or a family member were dissatisfied with the provided care. How would you handle it?
• What would you do if a patient refused to take their medication?
• You enter a patient’s room and you find their vital signs are not very good. What do you do?

Role-specific questions

• What do you find most rewarding in your job?
• What is the most difficult part of being a LPN?
• What are some routine procedures that a LPN performs?
• What are vital signs and at what frequency should they be monitored?
• How do you ensure the comfort of an elderly patient?
• Do you have experience in administering injections?
• How do you replenish your knowledge in [specialty area]?
• What do you like about working as a team?
• How do you handle stress?
• Do you prefer working independently or under supervision?

Behavioral questions

• Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult patient
• Have you ever had to deliver bad news to a patient? How did you do it?
• Describe a time you didn’t get along with a superior
• Have you ever disagreed with a colleague for a treatment or nursing procedure? How did you resolve it?
• Tell me about a time a patient thanked you for providing excellent care
• Have you ever made a mistake concerning a patient? What did you learn?