Why pre-screen practical nurses before the unit interview
The defining safety behaviour in this role is recognising the edge of your own scope and raising it, quickly, to someone who can act. That is a judgement, and it is tested most when a unit is short staffed and everyone is busy. Nurses worth hiring can describe a concern they raised and what happened. A short screen asks for that, along with how their medication checks hold under pressure.
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.
Settings and patients
3 questions01In which healthcare settings have you previously worked?
Listen forSettings named with the acuity and typical caseload described, and their responsibilities in each.
Settings listed with no acuity, or caseload size that suggests limited independent practice.
02Can you discuss your experience with patients who have chronic conditions or disabilities?
Listen forLong-term care described with dignity and individual preference respected rather than routine applied.
Patients described by condition, or care described entirely as a set of tasks to complete.
03Which patient age groups are you most experienced with?
Listen forHonest strengths by age group, with what changes in assessment and communication for each.
All age groups claimed equally, or no difference described between paediatric and older adult care.
Medication safety
3 questions04Do you have experience administering medication and monitoring patient response?
Listen forChecking practice that stays constant when busy, with an error or near miss described and reported.
Checks described as shortened under pressure, or no near miss they have ever reported.
05What measures do you take to ensure patient safety in your practice?
Listen forFalls, infection control and identification checks treated as routine rather than as extra tasks.
Safety described as following policy, or identification checks skipped for familiar patients.
06What is your approach to maintaining patient confidentiality?
Listen forA clear rule on what may be shared and with whom, including declining a relative who asks.
Information shared with family without consent, or patients discussed in public areas.
Patients and families
3 questions07How do you handle difficult patients or family members?
Listen forDistress recognised as the cause with de-escalation used, and the person treated with respect throughout.
Patients or families described as difficult people, or confrontation described as a response.
08What is your approach to end-of-life and palliative care?
Listen forComfort and dignity prioritised, with family communication handled without avoidance or false reassurance.
Discomfort discussing dying patients, or families given reassurance that is not accurate.
09Do you have experience with patient teaching or health education?
Listen forTeaching adapted to the patient's understanding, with comprehension checked rather than assumed.
Education described as giving out leaflets, or understanding never confirmed with the patient.
Escalating in scope
3 questions10Can you describe a situation where you had to use clinical judgement?
Listen forA judgement made within scope, with escalation to a registered nurse or clinician at the right point.
Decisions taken beyond their scope, or waiting for instruction while a patient deteriorated.
11Can you talk about your experience working within a clinical team?
Listen forConcerns raised with senior staff readily, with an example of speaking up and how it was received.
Reluctance to raise concerns with senior colleagues, or no occasion where they did.
12What is the most challenging case you have faced, and how did you handle it?
Listen forA genuinely difficult situation described without identifying anyone, with what they would do differently.
Identifiable patient detail volunteered, or every difficult case resolved without any difficulty.
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.
The safety behaviour that matters is raising a concern before you can fully justify it. A one-way video screen asks for one.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Ten to fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish settings and patient groups, test medication practice, and hear how they escalate concerns.
What must be verified alongside the screen?
Licence status, any restrictions and clinical references in full. The screen shows judgement and communication; those checks confirm someone is legally able to practise where you operate.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
A concern they escalated. Nurses with sound instincts raise things before they can fully justify them. Anyone who waited for certainty before speaking will be too late on a deteriorating patient.
How do I judge their medication practice?
Ask what happens to their checks when the unit is short staffed. Sound answers keep the checks unchanged. Anyone who describes shortening them under pressure is a medication error waiting to happen.
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
