Hospice nurse interview questions?

SoCalRN1970 · Jan 12, 2011

1.) How do you handle stress?

2.) Why did you choose hospice?

3.) How would you handle a difficult family member?

4.) Are you willing to take call after hours?

5.) Hospice deals allot with death and dying. How will you handle this on a daily basis?

6.) What do you say to a patient when they ask you if they are dying?

7.) How do you organize your day?

8.) Describe a past issue you had with either patient or coworker and how did you work through that conflict?

9.) A family member confesses they were so stressed, they took one of your patients ativan to take the edge off. What do you do with that information?

10.) Hospice is one of the few team approaches in Medical care. How would you cope if the famiy or if a patient just didn't seem to get the whole philosophy of hospice.... and continuely asked about chemo, blood work, labs, xrays etc??

11.) What is your perception of hospice?

12.) You walk into a patients home, and they just passed away. A frantic family member is calling 911 and you know for sure the patient is a DNR what do you do?

13.) Describe something you have done to provide patients or family with stellar service? Out of the box sort of approach?

14.) A family member asks you for your phone # so they can call you directly during business hours. WHat do you say?

15.) Describe a good death...

I hope this helps.

gorgenurse · Jan 12, 2011

Thank you! That gives me quite a bit to work with! LOL! Now to talk my answers out to myself! :lol2:

TNhillsNurse · Nov 11, 2011

Thanks for all the wonderful questions!! I have interview tmrw morning for

Case Manager position. I am leaving the crazy world of Dialysis in hopes of

something more gratifying. Wish me luck!!!!!:)

ErinS, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2011

Tell me about a time you did something that was against the rules. We ask everyone we interview this question. Hint: Don't answer with anything illegal.

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Nov 15, 2011

What would an acceptable against the rules be?

mrsbrightside · Dec 3, 2011

What do you do when you go to see Mr. Jones and he has a heart rate of 120, his breathing is fluctuating between 26 and 42, he's pale and you notice mottling on his bilateral lower extremities while Mrs. Jones is frantic and pleading for you to help her husband? (HINT: Don't say "call 911." You won't believe how many people say that.):)

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Dec 3, 2011

First make sure Mr Jones is comfortable and that his pain/SOB is well controlled. Then provide family education to Mrs Jones regarding the s/s of the end of life process. Explain that these are signs we would expect towards the end and provide emotional support for Mrs Jones.

Gosh its harder to explain than do but I guess I better practice this since I'm trying to move from working hospice with a staffing agency and working hospice for a company as a regular employee.

Adalisa · Jan 5, 2012

I'm not a hospice RN but work in long term care and deal with alot of hospice pts. I would answer by : I would give them a PRN med of Roxanol or Morphine & Ativan to help decrease the heart rate and decrease his respiratory rate. From the looks of it, Mr. Jones doesn't have much longer to live if he has already starting mottling on his BLE. So how did I do?

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Jan 5, 2012

I wonder if anyone ever answers. "Prepare a body bag"

RNJO30 · Oct 1, 2012

gorgenurse said:

Hello, So I have an interview for a part time position with a home hospice organization. I want to be as prepared as possible so I am going over potential interview questions. I have never interviewed for a hospice nurse position before so I am not sure if the questions will be different that what I have encountered in the past or not.
Can anyone give me some ideas for potential interview questions that I may encounter this week?

Thank you!

These are very good questions, what would be some good answers. I'm also going for a interview tomorrow for a hospice position.