35Behavioral Nursing Interview Questions & Answers
1.As clinical healthcare professionals, we have all been in situations where we have developed special bonds with patients and their families. Explain how you handle such situations when these patients face difficult diagnoses or unexpectedly pass away.
2.Tell me how you would handle a situation where you thought you saw one of your nursing colleagues pocketing a dose of medication that was supposed to be given to a patient.
3.How will you approach coming into a team of nurses who have been working together for quite some time, who have already solidified their working relationships, and who clinically, have a very specific way of doing things?
4.You are caring for a patient nearing the end of their life who has a clear Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order in their advanced directive, but when the patient codes, their family member who is present begs you to take action. How do you respond?
5.Tell me how you would handle a situation in which you are pressed for time and it would be easier for you to provide care to your patients if you did not follow established procedures and protocols.
6.How would you handle a situation where you were curious about what was documented in a friend or family member's electronic health record?
7.What would you do in a situation where you needed household medical supplies, such as adhesive bandages, and you were aware that there was an abundance of them in the supply room at work?
8.How would you handle a situation where a new manager or supervisor starts on your unit and immediately starts changing everything about the way the unit has operated for the past few years?
9.Often in Electronic Health Records, generic drug names are used in lieu of brand names. Tell me how you would handle a situation where you know the brand name of a drug you need to place an order for, but you are unsure of its generic name.
10. Tell me about a time in your nursing career when you made a big mistake. How did you handle the situation?
11.Despite our best efforts in providing care, sometimes there are family members who are unhappy with the care the patient is receiving. Tell me how you would handle such a situation.
12.Tell me how you would handle a situation where you feel a patient is suicidal or a danger to themselves, but they deny these feelings.
13.Workplace violence is a common issue for nurses. We have protocols in place to prevent workplace violence, but sometimes patients and family members still become violent. Tell me how you would handle such a situation.
14.You have had a friendly relationship with one of your nursing colleagues for quite some time, but recently, she has been demonstrating passive-aggressive behavior and has been unwilling to cooperate with you. Tell me how you respond to this situation.
15. You are caring for a pediatric patient whose parent is refusing routine vaccinations due to information she has read on the internet. How do you respond in this situation?
16.You are in a situation where you have been putting forth a lot of effort at your nursing job, but you received critical feedback from your supervisor during a bi-annual review. How do you respond to this situation?
17.Many times, we require our nurses to cross-train in other departments so they can be available to float when needed. How do you feel about the potential of cross-training and floating on short notice?
18.Due to emerging technology, the nursing career has evolved, and technology is incorporated in many aspects of modern nursing. How do you handle a situation in which new technology is introduced that changes your nursing practice?
19.You are very busy and a bit overwhelmed with your daily tasks, but it is time for your morning team huddle. What do you do?
20.You are a floor nurse in your unit and have close relationships with several of your colleagues. When your supervisor goes on vacation, she appoints you to be in charge. How do you approach supervising the nursing staff in your unit?
21.Describe a time you effectively instructed a patient on something they were struggling with learning?
22.Describe a time you effectively handled a hostile patient or family situation? What was the outcome?
23.What is the best way to handle a patient who is refusing their medications?
24.Your patient’s family brought too many boxes of candy, and the patient wants you to take the unopened one. How do you handle this scenario?
25.How do you prioritize tasks when things on the unit get unexpectedly fast moving?
26.What do you do when one of your patients takes unexpected additional time to provide quality care and you have other patients waiting?
27.Describe a time when you did not communicate well, either in writing or verbally. What was the outcome and how did you handle it?
28.Tell me about a time where you developed empathy by stepping into a patient's shoes?
29.Explain your decision making process when you are challenged with a novel or challenging situation in nursing.
30.Nursing can be extremely stressful. What do you think your personality strengths are in regards to handling the stress of nursing?
31.Describe a time where you needed to get crucial information from someone who wasn't helpful or responsive and how you handled that.
32.Describe a time you set a goal for yourself and achieved it. What did you do to ensure that you met your goal?
33.Tell me about a successful team project that you've collaborated on. What was your role?
34.Describe a time you set a goal and did not achieve it. Explain why you were not successful.
35.Would you call yourself a team player? How do you handle yourself when you disagree with the team consensus on how to handle a situation?
