CNA Certified Nursing Assistant - Medical Surgical Cardiac/Neuro Unit South Shore
Posted Sep 16, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
Behavioral
Tell me about a time a patient's condition changed while you were with them, maybe during a routine task like bathing or ambulation. What did you notice and what did you do next?
whether the candidate recognizes early warning signs and escalates to the RN rather than waiting or handling it alone
Tell me about a time you had more patients or tasks than you could reasonably get to in an hour. How did you decide what came first?
prioritization skill in a fast paced med surg environment with call lights, rounding, and errands competing for time
Tell me about a patient you cared for who had dementia or was confused, maybe on the neuro side of this unit. What did you do differently with them?
ability to adapt care approach to cognitive and age-specific needs as required by the job
Tell me about a time you had to give a patient or family bad news or sit with someone who was scared or in pain, even though it wasn't your job to explain the medical details.
emotional composure and communication skill in a role with heavy patient contact
Technical
Walk me through how you'd take and document a full set of vitals and I&O on a cardiac patient during your shift.
basic clinical skill competency and comfort with routine documentation in the EMR
How would you collect and label a urine or sputum specimen so it doesn't get mixed up with another patient's?
attention to detail on specimen identification, a common source of serious errors
What's your experience with isolation precautions, gowning and gloving, and why does the order of putting things on and taking them off matter?
infection prevention competency and whether they understand the reasoning, not just the steps
Situational
Say you're helping transfer a 150 pound patient and you're the second person on a sliding transfer. What are you checking before you start?
knowledge of safe transfer technique and body mechanics to prevent patient or self injury
A family member on this cardiac/neuro unit stops you in the hallway and asks you directly what the doctor's plan is for their loved one. What do you say?
understanding of scope of practice boundaries and when to redirect to the RN
You notice a patient's heel is starting to look red during a routine reposition. What do you do right then and what do you report?
knowledge of skin integrity protocols and timely communication to the RN
This schedule includes every other weekend and holiday, plus rotating 7-3 and 7-7:30 shifts. How do you make that work for you long term?
honesty about schedule commitment and retention risk
If an RN asks you to do something that's outside what you were trained for, or that you're not sure is within your scope as a CNA, what do you do?
whether the candidate knows their scope of practice limits and will speak up instead of guessing
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As published by Advocate Health.
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