Charge Nurse Mock Interview

Master 60 Charge Nurse interview questions covering leadership, clinical judgment, and unit management.

Question 1 of 60

Tell us about yourself and your experience. What makes you a great candidate for this position?

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Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

Prepare the answer to this question carefully, as this question is certain to surface. Showcase your abilities as both a competent nurse and a leader. Mention optimal patient outcomes as a priority in addition to fidelity to the organization's standards and employee guidelines. Your answer should strike a balance between visionary leadership and staying on the cutting edge of nursing knowledge while assuring the highest standards of nursing care while maintaining organizational policy and procedures.

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.

"My goal as an individual and professional nursing leader is always to lead with integrity and excellence. I am a competent nurse with a wide knowledge base who excels in communication and problem-solving. I've reviewed the job description for this position and am confident that I can perform this senior nursing position effectively and quickly. My leadership style is based on the goal of a culture of cooperative and competent patient care. I balance concern for the patient with concern for the well-being of the staff to create a culture that allows both the patients and staff to thrive."

Krista Wenz

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.

"I have a Master's Degree in Nursing Leadership and Administration from Rasmussen University. I have worked as a charge nurse for 12 years in various units, including Med-Surg, neurology, and the emergency department. Working in various settings allowed me to learn more about different specialties, giving me a broad range of expertise. I have a strong work ethic and leadership style and have received awards for my leadership and compassionate patient care. I look forward to bringing my skills and knowledge to your incredible organization."

Tiffiny Duchene

I have over 10 years' experience as a registered nurse and over 4 years working as nurse manager. During my time as a registered nurse I have worked in med surg and telemetry, long term care and rehab, education, and management. This has all allowed me the opportunity to improve my nursing skills and my leadership skills which makes me an excellent candidate for this position. Working in multiple settings and gaining experience in education gave me a multitude of different experiences and improved my communication skills. This all prepares me very well to be an excellent charge nurse.

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60Charge Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

Experience

1.Tell us about yourself and your experience. What makes you a great candidate for this position?

Career Goals

2.What are your career goals?

Discovery

3.What do you think will be the most challenging part of this position if hired?

Discovery

4.Why are you leaving your current place of employment?

Direct

5.Why do you want to work for our organization?

Leadership

6.Why do you think you are a good fit for this position with our organization?

Discovery

7.Tell us about a time you were most satisfied in a job.

Discovery

8.What are three positive things that your former employer might say about you?

Direct

9.What are three possible negative things your former employer might say about you?

Situational

10.How would you handle an angry patient or family member?

Discovery

11.What three words are used frequently to describe your personality?

Leadership

12.How do you deal with employee reviews and establishing corrective plans of action for them?

Behavioral

13.How do you handle stress and anxiety on the job?

Behavioral

14.How would you handle gossip on your unit?

Leadership

15.Describe a possible first-step correction action plan for a staff nurse who is chronically late for their shift.

Competency

16.Tell us the first steps of creating a budget for your unit.

Technical

17.What computer skills or software programs would you use to train your staff?

Operational

18.Describe how you organize and prioritize your work.

Leadership

19.In your experience, what is the most effective way to train new nurses?

Leadership

20.How would you help or show your staff how to handle a challenging patient?

Discovery

21.After reading the job description, what do you like most about this position?

Experience

22.Have you ever terminated an employee? If so, what was your experience?

Discovery

23.Have you ever testified in court? If so, how was your experience?

Discovery

24.Do you speak any foreign languages fluently?

Direct

25.Describe a time you disliked company rules in your last job.

Discovery

26.How do you expect to make a difference if hired by our organization?

Discovery

27.What made you pursue a career in nursing?

Discovery

28.Would you describe yourself as a compassionate person?

Discovery

29.Have you ever had disciplinary action brought against you as a nurse?

Role-Specific

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

30.How do you support a staff member who is upset after losing a patient?

Operational

31.How do you balance patient care and administrative duties as a charge nurse?

Situational

32.What do you do when a team member does not show up for their shift?

Role-Specific

Emergency Room

33.Have you ever worked with a physician who was challenging to communicate with? How did you overcome this challenge?

Situational

34.How do you handle disagreements between nursing staff?

Role-Specific

Nursing Home

35.As a charge nurse in a skilled nursing facility, what are some of your typical responsibilities?

Role-Specific

Nursing Home

36.While conducting a chart audit, you find a number of patients with errors in their charts. What do you do?

Role-Specific

Nursing Home

37.In the event of a call-out that you couldn't find coverage for, are you willing to work the floor and med cart as necessary?

Role-Specific

Nursing Home

38.How would you handle staff who are not following appropriate safety and health guidelines?

Role-Specific

Nursing Home

39.Why do you prefer to work in a nursing home versus other settings?

Role-Specific

Emergency Room

40.What would you do if several patients complained to you about one of your staff nurses?

Role-Specific

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

41.How do you ensure smooth shift changes and hand-offs?

Role-Specific

Emergency Room

42.What experience do you have with EHR? Please include specific systems and your experience training others as well.

Behavioral

Hospital

43.How would you balance administrative, supervisory, and clinical duties in this role?

Role-Specific

Psychiatric

44.How do you communicate with your team of nurses and aides?

Role-Specific

Psychiatric

45.If a staff member comes to you with safety concerns, how do you address the situation?

Role-Specific

Psychiatric

46.Working in mental and behavioral health settings can be taxing to clinical staff. How do you ensure your staff is not burned out?

Leadership

47.How do you provide feedback to your clinical staff?

Role-Specific

Psychiatric

48.Tell me about a time you had to write up a staff member.

Role-Specific

Psychiatric

49.As a new charge nurse at our facility, what are some challenges you anticipate?

Discovery

Psychiatric

50.You may be asked to work beyond your shift or be on call. What is your availability for overtime?

Role-Specific

Pediatric

51.What do you enjoy about working with pediatric patients?

Role-Specific

Pediatric

52.Tell me about a time you had to handle a situation that involved an upset parent.

Role-Specific

Pediatric

53.What differences have you found between caring for adult and pediatric patients?

Role-Specific

Pediatric

54.What techniques do you use or teach your nurses to use to calm a patient who is refusing treatment or medication?

Role-Specific

Emergency Room

55.What do you expect your responsibilities to entail as an ER charge nurse?

Role-Specific

Emergency Room

56.How do you handle the pressures of working in the ER?

Role-Specific

Pediatric

57.How do you communicate with your team when you have clinical students on your unit?

Role-Specific

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

58.What experience do you have overseeing medication logs?

Role-Specific

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

59.What experience and certifications do you have that will benefit you in this role on the ICU?

Role-Specific

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Charge Nurse Mock Interview

Tell us about yourself and your experience. What makes you a great candidate for this position?

60Charge Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

1.Tell us about yourself and your experience. What makes you a great candidate for this position?

2.What are your career goals?

3.What do you think will be the most challenging part of this position if hired?

4.Why are you leaving your current place of employment?

5.Why do you want to work for our organization?

6.Why do you think you are a good fit for this position with our organization?

7.Tell us about a time you were most satisfied in a job.

8.What are three positive things that your former employer might say about you?

9.What are three possible negative things your former employer might say about you?

10.How would you handle an angry patient or family member?

11.What three words are used frequently to describe your personality?

12.How do you deal with employee reviews and establishing corrective plans of action for them?

13.How do you handle stress and anxiety on the job?

14.How would you handle gossip on your unit?

15.Describe a possible first-step correction action plan for a staff nurse who is chronically late for their shift.

16.Tell us the first steps of creating a budget for your unit.

17.What computer skills or software programs would you use to train your staff?

18.Describe how you organize and prioritize your work.

19.In your experience, what is the most effective way to train new nurses?

20.How would you help or show your staff how to handle a challenging patient?

21.After reading the job description, what do you like most about this position?

22.Have you ever terminated an employee? If so, what was your experience?

23.Have you ever testified in court? If so, how was your experience?

24.Do you speak any foreign languages fluently?

25.Describe a time you disliked company rules in your last job.

26.How do you expect to make a difference if hired by our organization?

27.What made you pursue a career in nursing?

28.Would you describe yourself as a compassionate person?

29.Have you ever had disciplinary action brought against you as a nurse?

30.How do you support a staff member who is upset after losing a patient?

31.How do you balance patient care and administrative duties as a charge nurse?

32.What do you do when a team member does not show up for their shift?

33.Have you ever worked with a physician who was challenging to communicate with? How did you overcome this challenge?

34.How do you handle disagreements between nursing staff?

35.As a charge nurse in a skilled nursing facility, what are some of your typical responsibilities?

36.While conducting a chart audit, you find a number of patients with errors in their charts. What do you do?

37.In the event of a call-out that you couldn't find coverage for, are you willing to work the floor and med cart as necessary?

38.How would you handle staff who are not following appropriate safety and health guidelines?

39.Why do you prefer to work in a nursing home versus other settings?

40.What would you do if several patients complained to you about one of your staff nurses?

41.How do you ensure smooth shift changes and hand-offs?

42.What experience do you have with EHR? Please include specific systems and your experience training others as well.

43.How would you balance administrative, supervisory, and clinical duties in this role?

44.How do you communicate with your team of nurses and aides?

45.If a staff member comes to you with safety concerns, how do you address the situation?

46.Working in mental and behavioral health settings can be taxing to clinical staff. How do you ensure your staff is not burned out?

47.How do you provide feedback to your clinical staff?

48.Tell me about a time you had to write up a staff member.

49.As a new charge nurse at our facility, what are some challenges you anticipate?

50.You may be asked to work beyond your shift or be on call. What is your availability for overtime?

51.What do you enjoy about working with pediatric patients?

52.Tell me about a time you had to handle a situation that involved an upset parent.

53.What differences have you found between caring for adult and pediatric patients?

54.What techniques do you use or teach your nurses to use to calm a patient who is refusing treatment or medication?

55.What do you expect your responsibilities to entail as an ER charge nurse?

56.How do you handle the pressures of working in the ER?

57.How do you communicate with your team when you have clinical students on your unit?

58.What experience do you have overseeing medication logs?

59.What experience and certifications do you have that will benefit you in this role on the ICU?

60.How would you advise a nurse to care for a patient who is unable to communicate?