18 CNA Interview Questions and Answers

The applicants who are preparing for a CNA interview need to keep many things in mind. 

Since this is a sensitive position, interviewers take special care in assessing applicants.

In order to succeed in the interview, you should view some sample CNA interview questions and answers.

The following are some sample nursing assistant interview questions and answers that will help you prepare for an interview.

18 Common Certified Nursing Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

1. Please introduce yourself.
OR
Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Well, first of all, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed for this certified nursing assistant position today. I’d describe myself as a compassionate and empathetic CNA with a current CNA License and 3 years of hands-on experience. Also, I have excellent communication and problem-solving skills. I started my career as an elderly caregiver for ABC Care. There, I polished my personal care and ADL assistance skills and opted for the nursing assistant profession afterward.

2. Why did you decide to take up CNA as a profession?

I am passionate about providing individuals with exceptional personal care services. That’s why I feel that the nursing assistant profession suits me the best. In fact, I am a caregiver by nature who decided to take this further and make it a career. I specifically obtained NY state CNA certification in order to make the most of my skills and potential.

3. What are your areas of expertise?

I am well versed in providing ADLs, personal hygiene, catheter, and food pipe care, ventilator assistance, vital signs monitoring, and wound dressing. In addition, I am familiar with HIPPA regulations and infection control protocols.

4. How do you detach yourself emotionally from your patients?

As a matter of fact, it is a difficult task. When someone spends some period looking after a patient, s/he is usually emotionally involved. And it hurts especially in the event of separation. However, I have been trained to detach myself emotionally because it is the need for this profession. In fact, we cannot work confidently if we cannot control our emotions.

5. How do you deal with nervous patients?

In my career, I came across many nervous residents and patients who refuse to take care of them. However, I can use cajoling methods and reverse psychology techniques that are almost always successful.

6. Tell us what you do when you have completed all of your tasks but still have a few minutes left until your shift ends.

While this hasn’t happened many times. At the end of the shift when I have some time left, I review my patients’ files so that their treatment plans are refreshed in my mind. This activity also helps me to hand over my duties to the next CNA.

7. What do you do to ensure a smooth shift transition?

I keep all patient notes updated before shift transition. Moreover, I verbally explain each case and patient status to my replacement before leaving. If needed, I also tell the nervous patients that my shift is over and introduce the person replacing me.

8. How do you manage priorities in the patient-care?

Patients in critical condition are always top of my list. I make sure that I pay extra attention to patients who need it the most.

9. How would you react if you were asked to do something by a supervisor that makes you uncomfortable?

I am not squeamish which is probably my best virtue. If I am given a task to do, I do it regardless of my feeling about it.

10. Tell us about two personality traits that help you in your job as a CNA.

I am passionate about healthcare provision and compassionate at the same time. I have discovered that passion and compassion both work exceptionally well when trying to get a job done.

11. In a situation where a dementia patient sees something in his room which is not there, how would you deal with it?

I would go along with it and then try to calm him down. I have seen that you cannot argue with dementia patients and expect to win the argument. The best way to deal with it is to go along with whatever they are saying and seek the help of a supervisor if a situation gets out of control.

12. What is your greatest strength?

My greatest strength is my ability to stay calm and focus on emergencies. No matter how bad the situation is, I make sure it does not affect my composure, reflexes, or the quality of my nursing services.

13. What is your greatest weakness?

Being a highly courteous person, I tend to accept too much additional responsibility and go the extra mile to facilitate others. Although it is a good habit, it compromises my leisure time.

14. Share an example of when you went above and beyond your duty to facilitate the hospital you worked for?

Nursing is a field where such instances are common since the care we deliver is crucial to human lives and is sometimes even lifesaving. Last month I had just done 6 hours of extra duty to fill in for a colleague. When my duty was over, a bus accident case came in where more than 14 schoolchildren were injured. I stayed back another 3 hours and attended to them until the backup staff arrived.

15. What would you do if you suspected a colleague was malpracticing?

I would immediately report that colleague to the nurse manager.

16. What have you done during the past year to keep your nursing assistance knowledge updated?

I attended various on-the-job workshops. Similarly, I have been reading the leading research journals on nursing assistants in order to keep my knowledge in the field updated.

17. How do you deal with a patient’s attendant who is being rude?

I have worked working in this profession for 5+ years now. Therefore, I fully understand how stressful it is for the attendants to see their loved ones in pain. For this reason, I try my best to calm them down if they behave rudely. As a matter of fact, I always deliver the best possible care to patients.

18. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

In the next five years, I would like to pursue an LPN degree to become a practical nurse. I believe that my supervision skills are almost as well-tuned as my personal care skills are. Through a supervisory role, I will be able to bring a positive difference in the patients’ lives. Likewise, I’d like to train new staff in order to deliver quality care.

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Now we already have seen some common CNA Interview Questions and answers, now we have to see some tips in this regard.

How to Prepare for a Certified Nursing Assistant Interview

Prepare Well

Prepare well before going to the interview. The above-mentioned questions and answers and this CNA job description will help you in this regard.

Review your Skills

During an interview for a certified nursing assistant position, you may be asked to mention your skills as a CNA. Be prepared to discuss your strengths and abilities in providing exceptional personal care to the patients assigned to you. Talk about your love for helping patients to maintain their dignity and self-confidence.

Research the Prospective Employer

Researching a prospective employer is very important. Gather information about them from their website and review them before the interview. You can use this information to answer confidently and ask questions in the interview. This will set you apart from the rest of the candidates.

Dress for Success

You are applying for a position that requires high professionalism. Do not wait until the morning to decide what to wear. Put your “best dress forward.” Avoid wearing too much makeup, jeans, tank tops, or tight-fitted clothes. Wear clothes that compliment you and show you as a role model for a CNA job.

Bring a Copy of Your Resume

Keep a copy of your Certified Nursing Assistant Resume along with you in the interview.

Send a Thank You Letter

Don’t forget to send a thank you letter after the CNA interview.

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