7 Essential LVN Interview Questions to Ask
Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care in a range of healthcare settings. Also referred to as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in many states, these nurses can be valuable assets to a healthcare team.
Secure talented LVNs in your facility by following a strategic hiring process. You can attract nurses to your facility with a well-planned LVN job description, which serves as a first impression. Carefully select job applicants by verifying their skills and experience on a nursing resume. Then, ensure your candidate is a match by asking targeted, customized LVN interview questions.
Licensed Vocational Nurse
As you prepare your LVN interview questions, consider the expectations for the role. Licensed vocational nurses function under the direction of a registered nurse, and their job duties can vary significantly. Employers should be familiar with the different levels of nursing to inform the interview process.
It may also be helpful to review an LVN’s scope of practice according to the California and/or Texas nursing boards as you prepare for the interview. By getting the hiring manager and job candidate on the same page, you’ll be better poised to ask strategic LVN interview questions and hire the best nurse for the role. Here are seven questions to guide the interview:
1. Tell me about your nursing background.
Begin the interview by getting to know the job candidate. This question allows the nurse to share their nursing experiences and elaborate on items listed on their resume. It gives the interviewer a good first impression about whether the candidate’s nursing background could be a fit. It also gives the nurse a chance to explain any employment gaps or other items that may be potential red flags for hiring managers.
2. Explain how you manage your nursing workload. What works for you?
Time management is an essential nursing skill required for managing patient workloads. This question encourages the nurse to reflect on their time-management abilities and other aspects of nursing, like patient prioritization and stress management.
By following an open-ended format, the interviewer creates space for the nurse to be introspective and reason through thought processes. Open-ended interview questions may also reveal a job candidate’s attitude and opinions about work.
3. Describe a situation in which your team members disagreed with you. How did you handle it?
LVNs work alongside many other healthcare team members, like CNAs, RNs, physicians, and therapists. Asking teamwork LVN interview questions helps determine the nurse’s ability to function within a team.
How they handle a disagreement can reveal soft skills like conflict resolution and professionalism. As a hiring manager, you want to know if a nurse is capable of receiving feedback and reaching agreements for the sake of delivering patient-centered care.
4. Recall a time your leader gave you a responsibility outside of your job duties. How did you handle the situation?
It’s important for LVNs to maintain boundaries related to theirscope of practice, especially when working alongside RNs in a team nursing model. This question measures a nurse’s ability to handle a potential challenge on the job.
By asking adaptability-related LVN job interview questions, the hiring manager can gain insight into how well a nurse adapts to change to meet the demands of patient care. It also gives the candidate a chance to demonstrate fundamental nursing skills like problem-solving and staying calm under pressure.
5. Can you name a time when you made a mistake on the job? What did you do about it?
Nursing mistake interview questions are more about measuring their sense of accountability than clinical competency. Hiring managers want to be sure a nurse is capable of owning up to a mistake and addressing the problem appropriately. A nurse with strong integrity is accountable for all of their work, mistakes included.
6. Describe something you contributed at a previous job. What were the results?
Employers should invest in nurses who are motivated to move the practice setting forward. This could be through evidence-based practice committees and new policy implementation. This interview question reveals initiative. How will the candidate contribute to improving care at your facility?
7. Do you have any questions about the position?
Bring the conversation to an end with a strong closing question. This allows the candidate to address aspects of the role that haven’t been discussed. Be prepared to answer questions about details like shift requirements, nurse-to-patient ratios, and patient population.
This question is also a good way to gauge the nurse’s interest in the role. Being prepared for an interview shows that the nurse did their research and has a genuine interest in the position.
Get Qualified LVNs at Your Facility Today
Looking for more ways to attract top talent at your facility? IntelyCare provides valuable hiring tips beyond LVN interview questions. Collaborate with a staffing partner to secure talented nurses at your facility today.