Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care.

Interviewers look for candidates that demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail
• Physical stamina
• Compassion
• Patience
• Speaking skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurse positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Compassion

Why interviewers are interested in how compassionate you are:

Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses must be empathetic and caring toward the people they serve.

Attention to detail

Why interviewers are interested in your attention to detail:

LPNs and LVNs need to be responsible and detail-oriented because they must make sure that patients get the correct care at the right time.

Interpersonal skills

Why interviewers are interested in your interpersonal skills:

Interacting with patients and other healthcare providers is a big part of their jobs, so LPNs and LVNs need good interpersonal skills.

Learn more about interpersonal interview questions and how to answer them!

Patience

Why interviewers are interested in how patient you are:

Dealing with sick and injured people may be stressful. LPNs and LVNs should be patient, so they can cope with any stress that stems from providing care to these patients.

Physical stamina

Why interviewers are interested in your physical stamina:

LPNs and LVNs should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as bending over patients for a long time.

Speaking skills

Why interviewers are interested in your speaking skills:

It is important that LPNs and LVNs communicate effectively. For example, they may need to relay information about a patient’s current condition to a registered nurse.

(source: bls.gov)

Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurse Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurse Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurse Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. What is your strategy to ensure that patients get the correct care at the right time?
2. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a challenging situation at work. What happened and how did you handle it?
3. What would you do if a patient refuses to take their medication?
4. Tell me about a time you disagreed with the instructions you got from a registered nurse? What did you do?
5. Tell me about a stressful situation you faced as an LPN or LVN. What happened and how did you deal with it?
6. Walk me through some of the routine procedures you perform as an LPN or LVN.
7. Describe a time you had to tell a patient or their family bad news. How did you do it?
8. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult or demanding patient. What made it difficult and how did you handle it?
9. Have you developed a system to minimize the risk of errors in your work?
10. Walk me through the steps you take to register and admit a new patient into the hospital’s administration software.

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.