CNA Certified Nursing Assistant - Medical Surgical Ortho - Sinai
Posted Sep 17, 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 shift where you had a lot of patients needing help at the same time. How did you decide who to help first?
whether the candidate can prioritize competing needs safely on a busy med-surg floor
Tell me about a time a patient or family member was upset or disrespectful toward you. How did you handle it?
composure and ability to maintain dignity and professionalism under stress
Give me an example of when you noticed a change in a patient's condition and had to tell the RN. What happened?
observation skills and comfort communicating up the chain of command
Describe a time you disagreed with how a coworker or nurse handled a patient care task. What did you do?
teamwork and conflict resolution within a supervised care model
Tell me about a night shift where things got quiet and then suddenly got busy. How did you stay alert and ready?
ability to sustain attention and readiness through the demands of overnight work
Technical
Walk me through how you take and record vital signs, and what you do if you get a reading that seems off.
basic clinical competency and judgment about when a reading needs to be escalated
What's your experience helping patients with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, and eating, especially patients who have limited mobility after surgery?
hands-on ADL skills specific to post-surgical orthopedic patients
How do you approach turning and repositioning a patient who just had orthopedic surgery, like a knee or hip replacement?
knowledge of safe handling techniques and awareness of surgical precautions
What do you know about infection control practices you'd use on a med-surg unit, like handwashing, isolation precautions, or handling linens?
basic infection prevention knowledge required in a hospital setting
Situational
You're working nights on the ortho unit and a post-op hip replacement patient wants to get up to the bathroom alone. What do you do?
understanding of fall risk protocols and when to involve the RN before acting
This unit requires every other weekend and holidays, plus a 7pm to 7:30am shift. How do you make that kind of schedule work for you long term?
realistic commitment to the shift pattern rather than a polite answer
If you're assigned tasks by more than one RN during a shift and the workload becomes too much to finish safely, what do you do?
ability to speak up about unsafe workload rather than silently falling behind
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As published by Advocate Health.
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