Best Interview Questions for CNAs: Hiring the Right Caregivers

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) play a vital role in providing quality patient care. CNAs are often the unsung heroes who ensure that patients receive the attention, support, and comfort they need during challenging times.

Healthcare organizations looking to hire great CNAs who provide top patient outcomes should look for: healthcare experience, soft skills, such as teamwork (FYI- here are some great questions to ask to find your ideal team player), and a great bedside manner.
 

Interview Questions for CNAs

Use these interview questions as a guide on what to ask your certified nursing assistant candidates. You can also use AI interview question assist (if you’re currently using interviewstream) to help you craft position and industry-specific questions. Also, consider using video interviews to ask specific screening questions. Hospitals like Johns Hopkins use on demand interviews to move candidates forward the hiring process faster than they could with manual screening methods, like a phone screen.
 

Interview Questions for CNAs on Bedside Manner

• Describe a challenging patient interaction you’ve had. How did you handle it?
• What do you do when a patient refuses to cooperate with their care plan?
• How do you handle a situation where a family member is unhappy with the care their loved one is receiving?
• Describe your process if you suspect a patient is experiencing pain or discomfort that they haven’t expressed?
• How do you prioritize your tasks when you have multiple patients with different needs?
• Can you share a personal experience where you felt you made a significant difference in a patient’s life?

Questions for CNA’s on Patient Care and Healthcare Procedure

• Can you explain your approach to infection control and preventing the spread of diseases?
• What’s your process for documenting patient information accurately?
• How do you communicate changes in a patient’s condition to the nursing staff?
• Describe your strategy for dealing with patients who have communication barriers, such as language differences or cognitive impairments.
• Explain how you manage your time efficiently while providing quality care.
• How do you handle situations where you need to multitask and maintain the quality of care for each patient?

Soft Skill Interview Questions for CNAs

• How do you handle disagreements with nurses or colleagues about a patient’s care plan?
• How do you handle the emotional challenges of working with patients who have life-threatening illnesses or are near the end of life?
• What motivates you to pursue a career as a CNA, and how do you stay inspired in your role?
• Tell me about a time you had to work as part of a team to deliver patient care. How did you contribute to the team’s success?
• How do you ensure that you maintain a positive and compassionate attitude, even during challenging shifts?
• What are the essential qualities of a good CNA, in your opinion?

Ask the Right Questions Everytime with interviewstream

In the healthcare industry, the quality of care provided to patients is of utmost importance, and CNAs are essential in ensuring this. Asking the right interview questions means you’ll be confident your newly hired Certified Nursing Assistants can navigate complex and often unpredictable situations and make informed decisions for their patients’ well-being.

Use interviewstream’s screening capabilities and AI hiring enhancements to ask the best questions to your nursing candidates. Well-crafted interview questions are the key to finding the right individuals to join the ranks of nursing professionals–so why not join the community of healthcare providers that use interviewstream to ask the right questions, screen nurses faster, and schedule interviews before their competition. Fill out this form to request a demo, or continue learning about interviewstream’s healthcare solutions here.

About The Author

Caroline Chessia is the Marketing Operations Specialist at interviewstream. She loves color-coordinated graphs, hiking in the mountains, and every dog she meets—especially the Golden Retrievers.