7 Essential School Nurse Interview Questions to Ask

School nurses are trained to promote the health and development of children and teenagers. This role requires a distinct set of clinical and interpersonal skills, so it’s important to ask the right school nurse interview questions when hiring. From preventing the spread of communicable illnesses to managing chronic conditions, the right nurse will play a vital role in fostering a safe learning environment.

To help you hire the right person, we’ll outline seven key interview questions to ask school nurses and what to listen for in your candidate’s answers. You can identify potential candidates to interview by preparing a targeted job description. If you’re seeking additional insights, check out the attributes and qualifications highlighted in current school nurse job openings.

As you prepare for your interviews, consider downloading our free candidate assessment form to help you measure and rate the performances of your top candidates.

School Nurse Interview Questions

School nurses must be adept at working with pediatric populations and communicating with various other adults involved in a child’s care. Moreover, they may face challenges that are quite unique from what occurs in other clinical settings. You should plan to ask a mix of situational and communication-based school nurse interview questions, and answers should reflect a candidate’s confidence in tackling a range of common scenarios.

1. What inspired you to become a school nurse?

At the start of your interview, asking an open-ended question like this can be a great way to prompt the candidate to share more about their professional background. This question allows you to get a sense of who they are as a person and some of their specific values and goals.

If you’re conducting a panel school nurse interview (with principals, superintendents, or school board members in attendance), it may be helpful to use an easy question like this one as an icebreaker. Panel interviews can cause candidates to perform poorly. By making an effort to reduce the candidate’s stress early on, you may elicit more informative, authentic answers throughout the interview.

What to listen for:

• Personal experiences and motivations that brought candidates to school nursing
• Commitment and interest in helping school-aged children stay healthy

Potential follow-up questions:

• What’s your favorite part about working with students and children?

• Why do you want to be a school nurse at our institution in particular?

2. Can you tell me about your previous experiences helping children manage chronic conditions?

School nurses play a critical role in managing students’ daily health needs, including the delivery of treatments for pre-existing diseases. Interview questions for school nurses should assess candidates’ core medical knowledge to determine if they have what it takes to function independently, without a doctor or nurse practitioner immediately available. From helping children with diabetes maintain their blood sugar levels to making sure teenagers with asthma take their inhalers, candidates should be familiar with common treatment protocols.

What to listen for:

• Examples and knowledge of common pediatric conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy
• Evidence-based strategies to help children adhere to their treatment plans

Potential follow-up questions:

• What would you do if a student was feeling dizzy because of low blood sugar?
• Do you have any experience with seizure protocols?

3. What would you do if a student was having an allergic reaction?

Allergies are a common issue among school-aged children, and nurses must be prepared to handle incidents that could lead to adverse reactions. At least one of your school nurse interview questions should evaluate the steps candidates would take to ensure the safety of children in these situations.

What to listen for:

• Understanding of common emergency protocols used to treat allergies, such as the use of epinephrine
• Acknowledgement of needing to adapt to institutional policies and response protocols

Potential follow-up questions:

• What are some key signs of anaphylaxis?
• How do you keep the allergy care plans of all your students organized?

4. A parent calls you because they’re upset about how their child’s condition was handled. How do you respond?

School nurse scenario interview questions like this help assess a candidate’s communication skills and their ability to handle interpersonal conflicts. Candidates should expect to speak with parents quite regularly, and they should be comfortable de-escalating more difficult interactions.

What to listen for:

• Ability to communicate calmly, clearly, and respectfully in stressful situations
• Understanding of how to listen to and account for parent concerns

Potential follow-up questions:

• How would you handle a student who is upset and refusing treatment?
• What types of situations would prompt you to notify a child’s teacher?

5. How would you handle a student who had a suspected case of measles?

Children can easily spread communicable conditions since they frequently share supplies and are often in close contact with one another. If an infectious disease outbreak occurs, nurses must know how to act swiftly to contain it.

What to listen for:

• Knowledge of infectious disease protocols and state reporting policies
• Ability to think quickly and critically to prevent the spread of contagions

Potential follow-up questions:

• How do you keep your work area clean and sanitized?
• Do you have experience with contact tracing?

6. How would you treat a student who had difficulty explaining their symptoms?

School nurses interact with children and teenagers of varying ages, some of whom may also have developmental disabilities. When asking school nurse interview questions, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s ability to tailor their care so that every child’s needs can be met appropriately.

What to listen for:

• Strategies for adapting care to meet the needs of different pediatric populations
• Ability to assess physical signs and symptoms to help inform nursing diagnoses

Potential follow-up questions:

• How do you handle privacy and confidentiality when caring for several children at once?
• Is there ever a time you had to collaborate with teachers to address a child’s needs?

7. How would you handle a student who visits the nurse’s office several times a day or week?

It’s not uncommon for some children or teenagers to regularly visit the nurse’s office. There can be a number of underlying physical, emotional, or social stressors that can cause this. A good nurse will know how to conduct a comprehensive assessment to ensure “frequent flyers” are still being cared for without missing more school than necessary.

Though disease management and emergency response are core components of the role, school nurses also need to possess non-clinical skills such as emotional intelligence and empathy. Interview questions for school nurses must assess these soft skills, as well as awareness of behavioral health conditions.

What to listen for:

• Ability to balance the management of “frequent flyers” and provide necessary care
• Understanding of underlying mental health or social issues (i.e., bullying) that might cause frequent trips to the nurse’s office

Potential follow-up questions:

• How would you evaluate signs of emotional or psychological distress in children?
• What steps would you take to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect?

Attract the Right School Nurse Candidates to Interview

Whether you’re preparing inpatient or school nurse interview questions, you’re going to need to find a pool of qualified applicants. Need help spreading word about your openings? Our nationwide, nursing-focused job board is optimized to help you reach the right candidates faster.