Common Correctional Nursing Interview Questions

I'm collecting a compendium of Interview Questions and best answers for folks prepping for a correctional nursing job interviews. Could you chime in with yours even if you might have posted elsewhere on this forum? It would be good to have them all in one place for newbies searching this site.

Thanks for all the time and effort you spend helping new correctional nurses learn the ropes!

I have an interview for a Nursing Supervisor position for a few correctional facilities here in Wisconsin coming up!! I am so excited...I have not done correctional nursing, but have a lot f experience with very violent individuals, as I am a Program Director for high behavioral homes working with DD individuals. I am a Behavior Specialist and QMRP, and have a lot of management experience...Any suggestions, other than the awesome ideas already posted?

Also...forgot to mention. I have a disorderly conduct on my record. Is there any chance I can still get the job? It was 3 years ago.

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

Idk if its been brought up, so my apologies if this is a double post. But its helpful to know about food allergies. I was asked about it during an interview last week. The rationale: some inmates may try & claim they are allergic to a certain food, but it may just be b/c they do not want to eat what is served.

Thank you all for the information, I think I will be ok--if I can get an interview. Still waiting. Marie

Great thread, thanks for all the help. I have an interview on Tuesday for a CA facility... i'll post afterwards.

I had hoped to be interviewing by now, the HR person said she thought it would be sometime the middle of June. Now she says she hasn't been given the ok to interview for this position yet??? Any thoughts?

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Here's a classic correctional nursing interview question:

Two inmates present at the same time. One says he has chest pain and the other says he's bleeding. Who do you see first? Why?

Specializes in Emergency Department.

I work in the largest State prison in our state (by population) - approx 5300 inmates at any given time. On weekends, it is just me and one other nurse until the pill pass nurses get to work around 11 am.

So with no other nurses and no doctors, I tend to phone triage a LOT!

With that said, if I had a call for both of the CP and bleeding inmates, before I had them in front of me, I would have a lot more information.

For example, does the CP inmate have a cardiac history? How long has he been having CPs? How old is he? Does he have a hx of anxiety? GERD? Etc.

The inmate that is C/O bleeding - where's he complaining that he's bleeding from? Rectal? Urinary?

Multicollinearity said:
Here's a classic correctional nursing interview question:

Two inmates present at the same time. One says he has chest pain and the other says he's bleeding. Who do you see first? Why?

I recently had an intervview for a nursing supervisor position at 2 correctional facilities... Although the postings said they would hire after the interview, I was asked to have a meeting with the Warden and another Nursing Coordinator now. Any thoughts? Is this a 2nd interview? I am awre that they did check references, so am hopeful, but wondering....!

Questions were all related to dealing with employee conflict issues, though there was a general one about suicidal inmates (psych 101 stuff) and a difficult charting scenario question. I will post it tomorrow. Thanks for all the help!

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
ChuckeRN said:
I work in the largest State prison in our state (by population) - approx 5300 inmates at any given time. On weekends, it is just me and one other nurse until the pill pass nurses get to work around 11 am.

So with no other nurses and no doctors, I tend to phone triage a LOT!

With that said, if I had a call for both of the CP and bleeding inmates, before I had them in front of me, I would have a lot more information.

For example, does the CP inmate have a cardiac history? How long has he been having CPs? How old is he? Does he have a hx of anxiety? GERD? Etc.

The inmate that is C/O bleeding - where's he complaining that he's bleeding from? Rectal? Urinary?

For the purpose of this question you have no further information. You have to pick one to see first.

I would say the bleeding one, based upon where the bleeding is coming from.

Hi all!

I have an interview tomorrow for a job with an Oregon state prison. And while I know it is an older one, I am SOOOOO grateful for this thread!!! I've been using all of the questions on here to refresh from school and feel very confident about any questions they might ask tomorrow. So, in advance, THANK YOU!!!!!

Julz

Let us know how it goes, Julz!

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