7 Key Triage Nurse Interview Questions to Ask

Triage nurses are responsible for sorting patients based on acuity level. They often work on emergency room (ER) healthcare teams, but can also be found in other departments as well as in remote telehealth positions. When hiring for this role, asking targeted triage nurse interview questions can help you identify top candidates who will bring dedication, compassion, and clinical expertise to the team.

We’ll cover seven essential interview questions you can ask your triage nurse applicants, along with what to listen for in their responses. Download the printable candidate evaluation form below for an easy and convenient way to organize your notes throughout the process.

7 Essential Interview Questions for Triage Nurses

Triage nurses perform tasks that are centered around determining the best next steps for patients. Typical daily tasks include:

• Conducting focused assessments and documenting findings.
• Communicating with paramedics and other EMS providers.
• Developing positive rapport with patients and families.
• Communicating treatment plan options to patients and families.
• Collaborating with team members to initiate treatments.

Addressing these routine tasks during the interview process can help you find a nurse with the clinical and interpersonal skills necessary for accurate, swift patient triage. Here are seven triage nurse interview questions (and answers) that you can customize to fit your facility’s unique specifications.

1. What draws you to the triage nurse position with our department?

This conversational question can help you understand your candidate’s motivation for applying. Did they cast a wide net, or is there something specific about triaging on your team that attracts them?

What to listen for:

• A strong interest in working for your department, and alignment with departmental values and mission
• An understanding of the value of triage with regards to patient wellbeing and outcomes

Potential follow up questions:

• Why is accurate triage important to patient outcomes?
• What do you find rewarding about making initial contact with patients who are seeking care?

2. What is your approach to performing focused assessments?

Triage nurses are expected to follow facility policies and protocols when working with incoming patients. This often involves using specialized assessment skills to quickly evaluate the patient’s condition. Asking this interview question will give you information about your candidate’s ability to perform efficient, targeted assessments.

If you’re hiring a telephone triage nurse, interview questions about assessment skills can be customized to reflect virtual nursing techniques. For example, you may ask candidates how they would use technology, such as video, to gather relevant data.

What to listen for:

• Assessment approach is focused on the patient’s chief complaint, such as shortness of breath
• Approach uses both physical examination and patient interview techniques to efficiently assess a patient’s health status

Potential follow up questions:

• When asking a patient questions about a chief complaint, do you use a framework to help you stay organized?
• How do you integrate a patient’s subjective statements with the objective data you find on assessment?

3. Tell me about a time when you made a decision about a patient’s acuity level under pressure. What was the situation and how did it turn out?

The best triage nurses are excellent decision makers. Whether they’re determining that a wailing teen with a swollen ankle is stable, or activating the stroke team, their deep clinical knowledge helps them assign acuity levels to guide care — often under stress.

What to listen for:

• Excellent clinical judgment
• Ability to confidently make autonomous decisions in high-stakes, time-sensitive scenarios

Potential follow up questions:

• What tools and techniques do you use to prevent under-assessing patient acuity?
• In your practice, how do you distinguish between distracting injuries and the more critical injuries they may be masking?

4. How do you develop productive relationships with your patients?

Making initial contact with patients can be challenging. Patients entering the system, or calling in to a help line, may be anxious, upset, or unable to speak coherently. Triage nurses must set the tone with a professional, helpful attitude and draw on their experience to establish a productive rapport.

What to listen for:

• Strong communication skills and emotional intelligence
• Ability to calm patients, get health information, and elicit cooperation to facilitate positive outcomes

Potential follow up questions:

• What is one way you show compassion to your patients?
• Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a communication barrier to obtain a patient’s health history.

5. Describe a time when you had to use sound clinical judgment to prevent a health complication for a patient.

Triaging is a high-level nursing skill that is often developed through years of experience. Triage nurse interview questions (and answers) should reflect the advanced clinical knowledge behind each decision. This question invites your candidate to share a successful patient interaction.

What to listen for:

• Ability to apply nursing knowledge to improve patient outcomes
• Confidence regarding clinical decision-making

Potential follow up questions:

• Have you ever worked with an AI-driven clinical decision support tool?
• How do you collaborate with coworkers to confirm your clinical decisions?

6. After initiating a hip fracture protocol for an elderly patient who is reporting 10/10 pain, his daughter becomes argumentative and insists that her father is fine. How would you handle this situation?

While triage nurses have a primary responsibility to their patients, they’re frequently called on to also support family members. Nursing care values a holistic view that considers the patient as a member of a family system or community.

Interview questions for triage nurses should evaluate candidates’ ability to handle challenging family dynamics in emergency situations. This question also touches on the topic of screening for elder abuse.

What to listen for:

• Seeks to develop therapeutic relationships with both the patient and their family members by providing education and emotional support
• An understanding of the need to provide person-centered, culturally competent care
• An awareness of best practices for screening for elderly abuse, and an understanding of mandatory reporting laws

Potential follow up questions:

• What is one de-escalation technique you use if a patient or their family member becomes agitated or aggressive?
• What resources do you turn to if you suspect patient abuse?

7. How do you promote teamwork when engaging with interdisciplinary coworkers?

So much of healthcare provision is teamwork-based, and triage nursing is no exception. Whether these providers are working remotely or in-person, they function as a part of a broader team to deliver care. When evaluating responses, watch and listen for indications that the nurse is excited to encourage collaboration.

What to listen for:

• Values shared goals when working with staff nurses, physicians, unlicensed assistive personnel, and department leadership to deliver patient care
• Participates in team huddles or otherwise uses proactive communication to facilitate high-quality teamwork

Potential follow up questions:

• What do you do if you notice friction with a team member?
• Have you participated on a nursing committee in the past?

Connect With Qualified Applicants Today

Now that you have your triage interview questions ready, you may be looking for more ways to optimize your hiring process. Post your triage nurse vacancy to our nursing-focused job board today to connect with over 1 million qualified clinicians actively looking for their next exciting opportunity.