Why pre-screen licensed practical nurses before the unit interview
Scope is the whole conversation in this role and it varies by jurisdiction and by employer. A nurse who assumes wider scope than the licence allows is a liability; one who defers on everything slows a unit down. Between those sits the thing that matters most on a ward, which is whether they will say something when a patient looks wrong and the doctor is busy. A short screen surfaces all three, and none appear on a resume.
What actually matters when screening Licensed Practical Nurse candidates
- 01
Clinical competence
Check hands-on scope: IV site care, wound dressing changes, Foley insertion, blood glucose monitoring, tube feeds, and comfort with 20 to 30 resident medication passes.
- 02
Patient safety and protocol
Probe medication safety habits: five rights checks, narcotic count reconciliation, MAR documentation, fall and skin risk assessment, and how they escalated a change in condition to the RN or provider.
- 03
Patient communication
Assess how they explain a new medication or dressing plan to residents and families, and handle refusals, dementia-related resistance, or an angry family member at shift change.
- 04
Working in a clinical team
Look for shift handoff quality: SBAR reports to oncoming staff, delegating to CNAs, working under RN supervision, and coordinating with therapy, dietary, and pharmacy.
Pre-screening questions to ask Licensed Practical Nurse candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Duties they perform
4 questions01What primary duties are you trained to handle as a licensed practical nurse?
Listen forDuties stated against their licence and setting, with a clear line on what they hand to a registered nurse.
Claims duties outside the scope their licence permits, or is unclear where that boundary sits.
02Are you comfortable with duties such as taking vital signs, giving injections and changing dressings?
Listen forRoutine competence with what they do when a reading is abnormal, not just that they can take it.
Readings recorded and passed on with no interpretation, or discomfort with a core task the role requires.
03Are you well versed with wound care and infection prevention?
Listen forAssessment described concretely, including signs that would make them escalate a wound rather than redress it.
Wound care described as changing dressings, or no signs of deterioration they would act on.
04Can you detail the overall range of your practical nursing experience?
Listen forSettings and patient populations named with rough caseload, and an honest statement of where they are less experienced.
Experience described generally, or equal confidence claimed across settings they have not worked in.
Patients and families
3 questions05How do you interact with patients who are difficult or uncooperative?
Listen forA cause looked for behind the behaviour, such as pain, confusion or fear, with a specific case described.
Patients labelled as difficult with no attempt to understand it, or refusal met with insistence.
06How would you handle a situation if a patient's family was unhappy with their care?
Listen forThe complaint heard and recorded accurately, with clinical elements escalated rather than answered themselves.
Defends the unit before listening, or answers a clinical question that belongs to the doctor.
07Have you cared for terminally ill patients, and how do you cope with that work?
Listen forHonest reflection with a real support mechanism, and comfort staying with a family rather than avoiding the room.
Emotional distance presented as professionalism, or no support they use after a difficult death.
Handover and records
3 questions08How would you describe your experience with medical record-keeping?
Listen forDocumentation written as they go with specifics rather than at the end of a shift from memory.
Notes written hours later, or documentation described as a burden that comes after care.
09What steps do you take to protect patient confidentiality and privacy?
Listen forPractical habits at the bedside and station, with a clear rule on what may be told to a family member.
Clinical detail discussed within earshot, or information given to a relative without checking consent.
10What methods do you use to manage end-of-shift reporting?
Listen forA structured handover covering what changed and what to watch for, not just a list of tasks completed.
Handover given from memory with no notes, or concerns omitted because the shift was busy.
Interrupting a doctor
2 questions11How do you typically handle communicating with doctors about a patient's condition?
Listen forA clear, structured report with their own concern stated plainly, and willingness to interrupt when it matters.
Waits for rounds regardless of urgency, or reports observations without saying what worries them.
12Can you describe a time when you had to handle a disagreement with a healthcare provider?
Listen forA concern raised at the time with persistence if dismissed, and a route they would take if it was ignored.
Defers entirely to the clinician, or has never questioned an order they were uncertain about.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Clinical competence
35%5Names specific skills performed at volume, cites patient loads and settings (skilled nursing, rehab, clinic), and knows scope limits without prompting.
Patient safety and protocol
30%5Describes a real deterioration they caught early, the vitals or signs that triggered it, and the incident reporting that followed.
Patient communication
20%5Uses plain language, gives a concrete de-escalation example, and respects refusal while documenting and notifying the charge nurse.
Working in a clinical team
15%5Gives structured handoff examples, delegates clearly to aides, and describes pushing back respectfully when an order looked unsafe.
Scope varies by employer, and the thing that matters most is whether they speak up when a doctor is busy. A one-way video screen asks about that directly.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for a practical nurse take?
Ten to fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async between shifts. Enough to establish their scope and setting, hear one emergency, and check how they handle families and escalation.
Does the screen replace licence verification?
No. Verify the licence and any additional certification with the issuing board directly. The screen establishes what they actually do on a shift and where they think their scope ends, which the licence does not.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening a practical nurse?
How they handle disagreeing with a clinician. Nurses who keep patients safe raise it at the time and persist if dismissed. Anyone who defers entirely, or who has never disagreed, is a risk on a busy ward.
How do I judge their answers about difficult families?
Listen for whether they separate the anger from the concern behind it. Strong answers involve listening, recording the complaint and escalating clinical parts. Anyone who describes families as obstructive will make things worse.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
