MockQuestions

Situational Nursing Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your nursing interview, here are 50 situational nursing interview questions and answer examples.

Situational Nursing was updated by on May 30th, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 12 of 50

A patient on your unit you are caring for has had his peripheral venous catheter in place for approximately 100 hours. The catheter looks normal and the vein is open. Tell me how you proceed with administering more IV medications.

"This patient's peripheral venous catheter needs to be changed, no matter how good it may look. Unfortunately, you can't see bacteria, and these types of catheters are prone to infection, so they must be changed often. In fact, this patient's IV catheter should have been changed prior, as they shouldn't be inserted more than 96 hours. I typically change my patients' IV catheters every 72 hours, which is at the low-end of the suggested range for changing, just as a precautionary measure. So in this case, I would change this patient's IV catheter before administering anymore medication and change it every 72 hours after that."

Next Question

How to Answer: A patient on your unit you are caring for has had his peripheral venous catheter in place for approximately 100 hours. The catheter looks normal and the vein is open. Tell me how you proceed with administering more IV medications.

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Situational Nursing job interview.

  • 12. A patient on your unit you are caring for has had his peripheral venous catheter in place for approximately 100 hours. The catheter looks normal and the vein is open. Tell me how you proceed with administering more IV medications.

      How to Answer

      In order to help prevent nosocomial infection, which is an infection a patient acquires while receiving care in a hospital, peripheral catheters should be replaced every 72-96 hours. If not changed, the IV catheter may become infected and cause the patient's hospital length of stay to increase or could even cause death in extreme cases. Although a peripheral catheter may look normal and the vein may be open, it is imperative the catheter be changed. The interviewer is asking this question to determine if the candidate understands the importance of changing peripheral catheters on time in order to prevent infections. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should indicate they would change the catheter, specifically noting that the catheter should have been changed at a maximum of 96 hours.

      Written by Kelly Burlison on June 3rd, 2019

      1st Answer Example

      "This patient's peripheral venous catheter needs to be changed, no matter how good it may look. Unfortunately, you can't see bacteria, and these types of catheters are prone to infection, so they must be changed often. In fact, this patient's IV catheter should have been changed prior, as they shouldn't be inserted more than 96 hours. I typically change my patients' IV catheters every 72 hours, which is at the low-end of the suggested range for changing, just as a precautionary measure. So in this case, I would change this patient's IV catheter before administering anymore medication and change it every 72 hours after that."

      Written by Kelly Burlison on June 3rd, 2019

      2nd Answer Example

      "Although I would be glad that the patient's peripheral venous catheter site does not show signs of infection, this site can't be used anymore. It's an infection risk to keep the same peripheral venous catheter in place for over 96 hours. Before administering IV medication to the patient, I would change the site, making sure to place the date and time both on the dressing and in the electronic medical record. Because I may or may not be the patient's nurse it's time to change the IV catheter, I could also write 'change by ___ date at ___ time' on the dressing, to better ensure that the IV catheter would be changed within 96 hours, or sooner if that is unit policy. Changing IV catheters per unit policy is one of the important ways that we as nurses can prevent infections and phlebitis in our patients."

      Written by Kate Buckley on January 10th, 2023

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "So IVs should be changed every 72-96hs regardless of the patent to help prevent nosocomial infections as an iv is an entry point for bacteria. I would therefore remove and resite the iv prior to giving intravenous medication. The longer it remains insitu the higher the risk. If the patient is requiring long-term Iv meds I would speak with the doctor to see if. a PICC line might be a better option."

      Cindy's Feedback

      Great! This answer has the right combination of what and why to demonstrate a deep knowledge of the subject.

    • Next Question

    About the Author

    Krista Wenz

    I began my career in emergency medical services (EMS) over 30 years ago, working as a Firefighter-Paramedic, EMS Captain, Mental Health Technician, ER Technician, EMT and Paramedic Adjunct Instructor, and EMS Educator. During my career, I had the privilege of serving on over one thousand interview panels to help various organizations choose the right candidate for the job.

    I have created curricula and training materials to prepare candidates for interviews and held mock interview courses for all types of healthcare professionals. My interview experience includes hiring emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, nurses, medical assistants, home health aides, and physician assistants.

    As a coach and contributor for MockQuestions, I am excited to help you navigate your upcoming nursing interview. While these situational questions assess your critical thinking and communication skills, interviewers also ask these questions to gain insight into your personality to determine if you will be a good fit with the company culture. Remember to be relaxed and be your authentic self. Best of luck in nailing your interview!

    Learn more about Krista Wenz