Short version: A CNA loop is usually two rounds at LTC/SNF (nurse manager screen + working interview) and three rounds at a hospital (recruiter screen + nurse manager + unit walk with the charge nurse). The rubric weights four things: clinical (ADLs, vitals, transfers, positioning, infection control), safety (falls, HIPAA, sharps, PPE), empathy and dementia care (redirecting, family communication, end-of-life presence), and reliability (attendance, weekend and holiday coverage). Answer every clinical question with a specific patient/resident, a specific vital sign or observation, and a specific SBAR handoff to the RN. Below are 30+ questions grouped by round with the rubric graders use and a sample answer for each.
On this page
The typical CNA / PCT loop
| Round | Interviewer | Setting | What they screen for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Phone or in-person screen (20–30 min) | HR recruiter or DON | All | Registry status, availability, immunization, references |
| 2. Nurse manager interview (30–45 min) | Nurse manager / DON / ADON | All | Clinical judgment, communication, dementia care, empathy |
| 3. Working interview / shadow (2–4 hr) | Charge nurse + preceptor | LTC/SNF and some hospitals | Actual pace, gentleness with residents, teamwork |
| 4. Unit walk / meet the team (30 min) | Charge RN and current CNAs | Hospital PCT | Fit, culture, floor pace |
Recruiter / basic screen
1. Tell me about yourself.
Sample answer. "I've been a CNA for three years — the first year at Sunrise Senior Living on the memory-care unit, and the last two at a 96-bed skilled nursing facility with Ensign. My typical assignment is 10–12 residents on second shift. I'm current on BLS through October 2027, dementia-care certified through the Alzheimer's Association, and I'm starting LPN school at Mercy Community College in January. I'm here because I want a hospital PCT role — I know I'll grow faster clinically and I want the RN pipeline this hospital is known for."
Rubric: setting-specific experience, current certifications, forward plan named.
2. Why are you leaving your current role?
Sample answer. "The facility is stable and my supervisor knows I want to bridge to LPN. I'm looking to move now because the clinical variety at a hospital PCT role will teach me more per shift than another year at the SNF will. My DON knows I'm interviewing and offered to be a reference."
Rubric: pull (growth) not push (grievance); current employer offered as reference; specific reason.
3. What shifts are you available for? Weekends and holidays?
Sample answer. "Second shift 3–11, or nights 11–7. I can commit to every other weekend and one holiday rotation per major (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year). My hard 'no' is Christmas Day this coming December because I've promised my mother."
Rubric: specific hours, weekend and holiday willingness, one honest carve-out.
4. How's your attendance history?
Sample answer. "Three call-outs in the last twelve months — one flu (three shifts), one family emergency (one shift), and one when I was myself hospitalized (two shifts). Every call-out was more than 90 minutes before shift start with a coverage suggestion. My DON will confirm."
Rubric: honest number, specific reasons, protocol adhered to, reference confirms.
Clinical & skills questions
5. Walk me through your morning routine on a 10-resident assignment.
Sample answer. "Report from night shift — I take notes on new orders, isolation status, PRN meds administered overnight, and anyone flagged for fall risk. Round on all 10 residents in 15 minutes to lay eyes on each; that's a fall-prevention check and a "who's already awake" check at the same time. Then bathe and dress in order of dependence — my two dependent residents first, then the assist-of-one, then the independent. Vital signs before or during ADLs depending on what's ordered. Breakfast trays — assist-feed my dysphagia resident, position my NPO resident, monitor the two who self-feed but need cueing. Chart in the EHR (PointClickCare) after every major event. Rounds again mid-morning for repositioning. Lunch preps. Report to charge nurse mid-shift and again at end-of-shift."
Rubric: dependence-first order; fall risk check embedded; specific EHR; SBAR-adjacent handoff.
6. How do you take a manual blood pressure?
Sample answer. "Patient seated, arm supported at heart level, cuff on the upper arm with the bladder centered over the brachial artery, cuff snug but two fingers can slip under. Palpate the radial pulse, inflate the cuff 20–30 mmHg above where the pulse disappears, then place the stethoscope over the brachial artery. Deflate at 2–3 mmHg per second. First Korotkoff sound is systolic; disappearance of the sound is diastolic. Record both. If it's a first reading or the number is abnormal, retake the opposite arm and both arms after a five-minute rest before charting."
Rubric: technique correct; verification step for abnormal readings; positional detail.
7. What vital sign values would prompt you to call the RN?
Sample answer. "Facility-specific ranges but the general lines I use: temp above 100.4°F or below 96.0°F, HR below 55 or above 110 sustained (not just during ADL activity), SBP below 90 or above 180, DBP below 60 or above 100, respirations below 12 or above 24 sustained, SpO2 below 92% on a resident not on chronic oxygen. Any acute change from that resident's baseline — 20-mmHg drop in SBP or a 15-bpm rise in HR from morning baseline — I call regardless of the absolute number. And I don't chart before I call; I call, then I chart."
Rubric: specific ranges; delta-from-baseline mindset; call-then-chart order.
8. Walk me through a two-person transfer with a gait belt.
Sample answer. "Explain to the resident what we're doing, ask permission, and lock the bed. Position the wheelchair at a 30–45° angle to the strong side, lock the brakes, footrests up. Gait belt around the resident's waist over clothing, snug enough that I can slide two fingers under. Bring the resident to the edge of the bed, one hand on the belt at the back, one at the side; my partner mirrors on the other side. Verbal cue — 'On three, stand.' Weight shift onto the strong side, pivot, seat. Never lift by the axillae; never pull under the arms. If the transfer feels wrong mid-motion, we stop and re-set, not push through."
Rubric: safety cues (locks, angle, belt); communication with resident; abort-if-wrong instinct.
9. How do you turn and reposition an immobile resident?
Sample answer. "Every two hours minimum per policy, more if a stage-I skin change is documented. Explain, wash hands, gloves, raise the bed to a working height. Cross the resident's arms over the chest, bend the near knee, use the draw sheet with a partner to turn — pull, don't push. Position with pillows: one behind the back, one between the knees to keep bony prominences off each other, one supporting the top arm, heels off the mattress with a heel-off pillow. Assess the skin as I turn — any redness that doesn't blanch, I call the RN before I finish the reposition. Document time and side."
Rubric: two-hour rhythm; skin-check at every turn; call before finishing.
10. What do you do if a resident falls?
Sample answer. "Don't move them. Call for help — pull the cord or use the intercom. Stay with the resident and assess for pain, obvious deformity, LOC, and orientation. Take vital signs. When the RN arrives, hand off in SBAR: 'Situation — Mrs. Franks in 208 found on the floor at 14:12, Background — she's a fall-risk with recent Ambien change, Assessment — awake and oriented, complains of right hip pain 6/10, no obvious deformity, BP 138/82, HR 92, Recommendation — need you to assess before we move her.' Follow the RN's lead. Chart the incident report per facility SOP within the required window."
Rubric: don't-move instinct; SBAR handoff; incident report within SLA.
11. What's the difference between clean and sterile technique?
Sample answer. "Clean technique reduces the number of organisms — hand washing, clean gloves, a clean surface for supplies. Used for most CNA tasks: ADLs, catheter emptying, dressing changes on non-sterile wounds. Sterile technique — sterile gloves, sterile field, sterile supplies — eliminates organisms. CNAs don't perform sterile procedures like catheter insertion or sterile dressing changes; those are RN or LPN scope. I know the boundary and I don't cross it."
Rubric: definition correct; scope-of-practice clear.
Safety, PPE & HIPAA
12. Walk me through donning and doffing PPE.
Sample answer. "Donning order: hand hygiene, gown, mask (or N95, fit check for a snug seal), eye protection, gloves. Doffing order — this is where mistakes happen: gloves first (outside is contaminated, pinch and pull, ball into itself), gown next (roll away from the body without touching the outside), hand hygiene, eye protection (from behind), mask (from behind, don't touch the front), hand hygiene again. For a C. diff room, I wash with soap and water, not sanitizer — alcohol doesn't kill spores."
Rubric: correct order; C. diff carve-out for soap-and-water.
13. What is HIPAA and how do you protect it on your shift?
Sample answer. "HIPAA protects patient information. On my shift I don't discuss patients by name in hallways, elevators, or the breakroom; I don't take photos in patient rooms; I don't share information with a family member without confirming they're the healthcare proxy in the chart; I log out of the EHR every time I step away; and if I suspect a breach, I report it to my supervisor same shift."
Rubric: specific behaviors; reporting instinct; scope of protection understood.
14. A family member you don't know is asking about a patient's condition. What do you do?
Sample answer. "I introduce myself and confirm the visitor's name. I check the chart for the designated family contact or healthcare proxy. If they're not on the list, I don't share condition information — I say 'I'll get the nurse for you' and page the RN. If they are on the list, I share what's within my scope — 'Mom slept well, ate 75% of breakfast, and is up in the chair' — and route any medical or care-plan questions to the RN."
Rubric: verify first; scope of what a CNA shares vs. RN; polite escalation.
15. You find a needle uncapped on the floor. What do you do?
Sample answer. "Stay with the needle so no one steps on it. Call for help without leaving. Once someone else can hold the area, get a sharps container and forceps; pick up the needle at its base (not the point), drop it into the container. Notify the RN of the finding and log the sharps incident per facility SOP. If there was skin contact, follow the exposure-response protocol immediately — wash for 15 minutes and report to employee health within one hour."
Rubric: don't leave it; forceps/container; SOP log; exposure protocol named.
Empathy & dementia care
16. How do you approach a resident with dementia who doesn't want to be bathed?
Sample answer. "Slow down. Enter at eye level, introduce myself even if I've met them ten times, use their preferred name. Try a different entry — 'Ms. Grace, let's freshen up before dinner' rather than 'It's bath time.' Music the resident is known to like helps. Warm towels, warm room, one-person bathing when possible for anxiety. If they refuse fully, I honor that in the moment and try again in 30 minutes. I never force. I document the refusal and try again on the next round; if refusals are persistent, I flag the RN so the care plan can be adjusted."
Rubric: slow, meet them where they are, honor refusals, escalate patterns to RN.
17. How do you handle a combative resident?
Sample answer. "Step back, lower my voice, keep hands visible, and use their name. Don't argue with their reality — meet them where they are ('You're right, it's cold; let's get you a blanket'). If they're moving toward violence, ensure my and their safety, call for a second staff member, and page the RN. Never respond to combativeness with force; that's how residents get hurt and CNAs get terminated. Document in the behavior log and hand off to the RN so the care plan can address the trigger."
Rubric: de-escalation, safety first, no force, documentation, RN handoff.
18. Tell me about a difficult resident you cared for.
Sample answer. "Mr. Kim, mid-70s, aphasic post-CVA, resistant to any transfer. I spent my first week getting his rhythm — he was calmer in the morning, agitated by 4 PM. I moved his transfer to right after breakfast and slowed everything down: soft voice, wait for his eyes to track me, one motion at a time. Within two weeks he was cooperating with two-person transfers without agitation. My preceptor noticed and had me teach the technique to a newer CNA. It taught me that resistance is almost always communication I haven't figured out yet."
Rubric: specific example, pattern observation, escalation to teaching others, insight.
19. How do you handle end-of-life care?
Sample answer. "The family is my patient too. I keep the room calm — soft lighting, familiar objects, whatever music the family brings. Frequent gentle mouth care because dry mouth is uncomfortable and something I can fix. Repositioning for comfort, not schedule. I don't push food or fluids that aren't wanted. I sit with the resident when the family steps out for coffee so they're not alone. And I ask the RN whether there's anything specific the family needs — sometimes it's small (a warm blanket, a phone charger) and sometimes it's presence."
Rubric: family as patient; comfort over schedule; small-thing awareness.
Behavioral / STAR
20. Tell me about a time you noticed something wrong with a patient before the RN did.
Sample answer. "Mrs. Alvarez in 411 — I noticed during morning ADLs that her right calf was warmer and larger than the left. She said it felt 'heavy.' I finished the bath, took vitals (all baseline), and called the RN with an SBAR: 'Situation — right calf appears swollen and warmer than left, Background — resident on bed rest post-surgery, Assessment — she describes it as heavy, Recommendation — need you to assess.' Turned out to be a DVT. She went out for imaging that afternoon and started anticoagulation the same day. It reinforced for me that ADLs are also the best assessment window a CNA has."
Rubric: specific observation; SBAR handoff; outcome; insight about the CNA's role.
21. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Sample answer. "I documented vitals for the wrong resident on my first month at the SNF — same last name, room 202 vs. 208. I caught it at end-of-shift, told the charge nurse immediately, corrected the entry per facility late-entry policy, and told her which resident's real values still needed to go in. She thanked me for catching it and the residents were fine. I've triple-checked the room number and MRN before charting every shift since."
Rubric: acknowledges honestly, escalates quickly, describes the process fix.
22. Tell me about a time a family member was upset with you.
Sample answer. "The daughter of a hospice resident was upset because she felt her mother's mouth care wasn't being done frequently enough. Instead of defending, I asked what she'd like to see, listened, and showed her the mouth-care schedule and let her know we'd add a 2 PM round while she was there so she could see it. I asked the RN if we could formalize that for the family. It turned out my resident's schedule was fine; the daughter needed the visible reassurance more than the resident needed the extra swabs. Everyone left the shift on better footing."
Rubric: doesn't defend; listens; involves the RN in the fix; recognizes the family's real ask.
23. Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult coworker.
Sample answer. "One of the day-shift CNAs regularly left the linen cart empty. I asked directly, in private, whether there was a reason — turns out she was on a lifting restriction after a shoulder injury and hadn't wanted to say so. I offered to swap: I'd restock the linen cart at end-of-shift and she'd take one of my bed-changes I was less strong at. Worked for both of us. If we hadn't talked, I would have escalated to the charge; the actual answer took a five-minute conversation."
Rubric: direct conversation first; escalation only if needed; problem-solving orientation.
Hospital PCT-specific
24. What is your phlebotomy experience?
Sample answer. "I completed a 40-hour phlebotomy course at community college in 2025 and have drawn about 400 sticks under supervision during my SNF work with a lab partner. I'm comfortable with adult peripheral veins and know when to escalate to the RN or the vascular access team — after two attempts, I stop and ask. I'm not yet trained on pediatric or central-line draws and would need the hospital's specific training before those."
Rubric: specific hours, honest limits, knows when to escalate.
25. Walk me through a 12-lead EKG.
Sample answer. "Explain to the patient, expose the chest to about the nipple line, dry with a towel or shave prep if hairy. Place the four limb leads on the wrists and ankles. Precordial leads: V1 at 4th ICS right sternal border, V2 at 4th ICS left sternal border, V4 at 5th ICS mid-clavicular, V3 midway between V2 and V4, V5 at anterior axillary line same level as V4, V6 at mid-axillary line same level. Verify no artifact, ask the patient to stay still, run the tracing. Hand to the RN or nurse practitioner immediately if abnormal — I don't sit on a bad tracing."
Rubric: correct lead placement; artifact check; immediate handoff for abnormal.
26. What is a code and what's your role in it?
Sample answer. "A code — usually 'Code Blue' for cardiac arrest — is announced overhead or via pager. My role as a CNA/PCT: get the crash cart, call for help, start high-quality compressions if I'm first in and the patient is pulseless (30 seconds is critical), swap in a fresh compressor every two minutes to prevent fatigue, run for supplies as directed by the code leader, and stay in role. I don't push meds and I don't intubate — I compress, I fetch, and I document time if asked. I hold my BLS certification current."
Rubric: understands scope; can compress; two-minute swap; BLS current.
Questions you should ask them
- What's the staffing ratio on this unit at each shift?
- What's the CNA-to-charge-nurse communication cadence — pass-along at start of shift, mid-shift check-in, end-of-shift handoff?
- What EHR do you use — PointClickCare, Epic, Cerner, MatrixCare?
- Is there a lift team, or is the CNA doing every two-person transfer with a partner CNA?
- Does this facility offer tuition support for LPN or RN school? What's the commitment and the amount?
- What's the shift differential for evenings, nights, and weekends?
- How does the unit handle sick calls and coverage?
- What's the promotion path — Senior CNA, CNA II, PCT specialty, lead role?
Frequently asked questions
Four buckets: clinical (ADLs, vitals, transfers, positioning, infection control), safety (falls, HIPAA, sharps, PPE), empathy and dementia care, and reliability. Nurse managers grade heavily on SBAR communication.
SBAR — Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation — is the standard handoff format. Nurse managers look for CNAs and PCTs who report abnormal findings in SBAR order because it signals clean communication under pressure.
Three that repeat: difficult resident, noticed something wrong with a patient, family member upset with you. All test whether you communicate with the RN and follow SOP without personalizing conflict.
Answer with specifics — direct patient care, ADL assessment window, the LPN/RN ladder. Avoid "I love helping people" as the whole answer.
Step back, lower voice, use the patient's name, redirect rather than argue, ensure safety, call a second staff member, notify the RN, document. Never respond with force.
Protects patient information. No discussing patients by name outside care, no photos, no sharing information without confirmed proxy, log out of the EHR when stepping away, report suspected breaches immediately.
Printed résumé, government ID, state Nurse Aide Registry printout, immunization record, BLS/CPR card, TB or chest x-ray, and any BBP or dementia-care certificates. Wear scrubs or business casual with non-slip shoes.
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