Nursing Assistant (CNA) - Ortho Neuro
Posted Sep 9, 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 you noticed something off with a patient during rounding and had to get a nurse's attention right away. What did you see and what did you do?
whether the candidate understands the CNA's role as the RN's eyes and ears and escalates rather than acting alone
Tell me about a time you had a heavy workload with several patients needing you at once. How did you decide what to do first?
prioritization skills under the real pressure of a busy med-surg floor
Tell me about a time a patient or family member was upset or anxious. How did you handle the conversation?
communication skill and composure with distressed patients and families, which matters a lot on a night shift with less staff around
Tell me about a time you made a mistake or almost missed something with a patient. What happened and what did you change afterward?
honesty and capacity for self-correction, since CNAs need to report errors quickly rather than hide them
Technical
Walk me through how you would help transfer an ortho patient who just had hip surgery from the bed to a chair. What do you do before you even start moving them?
knowledge of safe transfer technique and post-surgical precautions specific to orthopedic patients
How do you collect and label a urine or sputum specimen so there's no mix-up between patients?
attention to detail and knowledge of specimen labeling protocol that prevents serious identification errors
What's your process for taking vital signs and getting them into the electronic medical record accurately and on time?
basic computer literacy and reliability with EMR documentation
Walk me through how you'd set up a room for a new patient being admitted to the unit.
familiarity with the admission process and attention to basics like call light placement and belongings management
How do you keep skin integrity in mind when you're repositioning a patient who can't move much on their own?
knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention, a common quality metric on med-surg units
What does hand hygiene and isolation precaution look like for you on a normal shift, and can you give an example of when you had to gown up for a patient in isolation?
consistency with infection control practices, especially on a floor treating post-surgical and immunocompromised patients
Situational
This unit is ortho and neuro combined. How would your approach to helping a patient who had a stroke differ from helping a patient recovering from a hip replacement?
understanding of how neuro deficits change basic care tasks like feeding, positioning, and communication compared to orthopedic limitations
A confused neuro patient keeps trying to climb out of bed even though they're a fall risk. What do you do in that moment?
practical judgment on fall prevention and de-escalation without relying solely on restraints or waiting for the nurse
You're doing a two-person sliding transfer on a 150-pound patient and your partner gets pulled away to help elsewhere. What do you do?
safety judgment and willingness to stop and get help rather than attempt a risky transfer alone
Working 7pm to 7:30am, how do you keep yourself sharp and attentive through the overnight hours, especially near the end of a shift?
self-awareness about fatigue management and reliability on night shift when supervision is thinner
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