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Registered Nurse Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

A nurse manager isn't hiring a resume. They're picturing you at the start of a night shift with a full assignment, a family at the desk and a patient whose pressure is drifting down. Every question below is a way of checking how you'd handle that shift, so answer with real patients, real handoffs and real decisions you made.

12 questions8 minute read

Part 1

1.You get report on five patients. One is post-op with new confusion, one needs a scheduled IV antibiotic, one is ready for discharge, one has pain at eight out of ten and one is stable. Who do you see first and why?

Why they ask

This is the prioritization question every unit asks in some form. They want to see you think in terms of airway, breathing, circulation and acute change, not the order of the room numbers.

How to answer

  • Go to the post-op patient with new confusion first, because an acute mental status change can mean hypoxia, bleeding, sepsis or a stroke
  • Name what you'd check right away: vitals, oxygen saturation, blood glucose, neuro check, surgical site
  • Say you'd treat the pain next or delegate a reassessment, and time the antibiotic within its window
  • Explain that the discharge and the stable patient can wait, and you'd tell the charge nurse if the confused patient needs a rapid response

2.Tell me about a time a patient's condition got worse on your shift. What did you notice and what did you do?

Why they ask

They want proof you catch early warning signs and escalate. The details you remember tell them how closely you actually watch patients.

How to answer

  • Describe the first subtle change you saw, like a rising respiratory rate, new restlessness or a drop in urine output
  • Walk through your assessment and the data you gathered before calling
  • Explain how you called the provider using SBAR and what you asked for
  • Share the outcome and what you'd watch for sooner next time

3.Walk me through how you'd call a physician at three in the morning about a patient.

Why they ask

Night calls go badly when the nurse is unprepared. They're checking that you use SBAR, have the chart open and know what you need before you dial.

How to answer

  • Gather current vitals, recent labs, meds given and allergies before calling
  • Lead with who you are, the patient and the concern in one sentence
  • Give background and your assessment, then ask for a specific order or a bedside eval
  • Read back any verbal order and document the call, and escalate up the chain if you don't get what the patient needs
4.A provider writes an order you think is unsafe, like a dose that looks too high. What do you do?

Why they ask

Medication safety is your legal and ethical duty. They want to see you hold the dose, verify and speak up without making it personal.

How to answer

  • Hold the medication and check the order against the drug reference, weight and kidney function
  • Call pharmacy and then the prescriber to clarify, with your reasoning ready
  • If it's still unsafe, don't give it, and go to the charge nurse or house supervisor
  • Document the clarification and file a safety report if your facility calls for one
5.How do you handle a medication error you made or almost made?

Why they ask

Everyone makes mistakes. Units with good safety cultures want nurses who report them, not hide them.

How to answer

  • Give a real, specific example, even a near miss caught at the scanner
  • Say you assessed the patient first and notified the provider
  • Explain that you reported it through the incident system and told your charge nurse
  • Share the change in your practice afterward, like always scanning before drawing up

Part 2

6.Tell me about a patient or family member who was angry with you. How did you handle it?

Why they ask

Patient experience scores and staff retention both depend on how nurses handle conflict at the bedside.

How to answer

  • Describe the situation briefly and what was actually behind the anger (fear, pain, waiting)
  • Explain how you listened, stayed calm and didn't argue about the facts in the moment
  • Show what you did to fix the real problem, like getting the provider to update the family
  • Mention when you'd bring in the charge nurse, a patient advocate or security
7.What would you delegate to a CNA or tech, and what would you keep?

Why they ask

Poor delegation burns out nurses and puts patients at risk. They're checking that you know your scope and the scope of the people you supervise.

How to answer

  • Delegate stable tasks like vitals on stable patients, ambulation, bathing, intake and output
  • Keep assessment, teaching, care planning, IV pushes and anything on an unstable patient
  • Explain that you tell the aide what to report back to you, like a pressure below a set number
  • Say the RN still owns the outcome, so you follow up
8.Your assignment feels unsafe at the start of the shift. What do you do?

Why they ask

They want to know you'll speak up the right way instead of walking off or silently drowning.

How to answer

  • Talk to the charge nurse right away and be specific about acuity, not just the number of patients
  • Suggest a fix, like swapping a heavy patient or getting help with admissions
  • Escalate to the house supervisor if it isn't resolved, and follow your facility's process for documenting it
  • Keep caring for your patients while it gets sorted out
9.How do you give and receive handoff report?

Why they ask

A lot of what goes wrong on a shift starts at a sloppy handoff. They want a nurse who's thorough and does it at the bedside when the unit allows.

How to answer

  • Use a consistent structure like SBAR or the unit's handoff tool
  • Cover code status, allergies, lines and drains, pending labs, fall and skin risk, and what's due next
  • Do bedside report when possible so both nurses see the patient and check the pumps
  • Ask questions when something doesn't add up before the off-going nurse leaves
10.Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker about patient care.

Why they ask

Units run on teamwork. They want to see you can push back respectfully and keep the patient at the center.

How to answer

  • Pick a real clinical disagreement, like a turning schedule or when to call a provider
  • Explain that you raised it privately and asked questions first
  • Show how the patient's needs decided it, and who you involved if you couldn't agree
  • Share how the working relationship turned out

Part 3

11.How do you teach a patient going home on a new medication like an anticoagulant or insulin?

Why they ask

Discharge teaching drives readmissions. They want to hear you check understanding, not just hand over papers.

How to answer

  • Start by asking what the patient already knows and who helps them at home
  • Keep it simple: what it's for, how to take it, the warning signs, and who to call
  • Use teach-back, where the patient explains it back in their own words
  • Include the family and use an interpreter if needed, and document what you taught
12.Why this unit, and why now?

Why they ask

Training a new nurse takes a long orientation, so managers want to know you'll stay. They also want to know you picked them on purpose.

How to answer

  • Name something specific about the unit, like its patient population, preceptor program or a certification you'd earn there
  • Connect it to what you've done and what you want to learn next
  • Be honest about why you're leaving your current job without trashing it
  • Make clear you plan to stay and grow on the unit

Questions to ask them

Ask at least two. It shows you're picking them too.

  • What does a typical assignment look like on days and on nights, and how is acuity factored in?
  • How long is orientation, and will I have one consistent preceptor?
  • What support is there when the unit is short, like a float pool, resource nurse or rapid response team?
  • How do nurses here give feedback on staffing or safety concerns, and what's changed because of it?
  • What do your strongest nurses do that others don't?
Career guideWhat a Registered Nurse does, and what it pays
Read the guide →
Skills to learnRegistered Nurse skills: what to learn first
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