Nurse Manager Interview Questions
This is a highly time sensitive search, so your timely response to this questionnaire is appreciated. Keep in mind that your answers will be evaluated for content as well as for style of communication. 1. Give an example of a care delivery challenge in your current position and describe what you did to address it? What were the results of your efforts? All of the patients on my unit in my former position were in the beginning and mid stages of Alzheimer’s with one or two very alert ones. The challenge was keeping the more alert residents from rapid mental decline. The key in maintaining the resident’s dignity is providing an environment where they can participate in their level of care, frequent interaction with family members and maintain consistency with the same caregivers.

2. Describe the characteristics and qualities you look for when hiring care givers? Why are these important to you and how do you assess for them? Kind, caring, compassionate, patient, ability to communicate clearly, prior work experience would be some of the qualities I would look for in caregiver applicants.

3. Tell me about a time you helped resolve a particularly difficult customer issue. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome? I cannot recall any one particular situation however I have interacted with angry family members that had an unresolved issue with other staff during the week and he or she was venting to me on the weekend. Communicating with a customer to resolve a difficult situation requires active listening to facts, remaining calm and making a good will effort to resolve the matter following chain of command when appropriate depending on the issue. Follow up with the customer to make sure the situation has been sufficiently resolved.

4. Read the following two scenarios and answer the questions below.

Mrs. Johnson transferred to Arbor Terrace from another assisted living community. She is on multiple medications including Lasix, Namenda, Colace, Ativan prn and Zoloft. She is currently living in an apartment on AL. She frequently gets lost in the community, and has difficulty locating her apartment and seat in the dining room. She often leaves before her entrée is served.
So far, meetings with her daughter have been unsuccessful in getting her to accept her mother’s cognitive changes. She has been losing weight and the caregivers report more frequent incontinent episodes. She needs reminders to bathe and change her clothes. Last evening she fell in the hallway. She had left her walker outside the dining room and was heading back to her apartment. * What is the follow up you would do as the nurse manager after this fall? * Full assessment of resident for injuries, notify the physician of her increasing confusion, medication regimen, fill out an incident report, contact Mrs. Johnson daughter to notify her of her mother’s mental decline and any new orders. Her care plan will have to be adjusted to reflect her care needs. For example her diet/food intake % will have to be evaluated to assist in determining why she is losing weight. Her weight will have to be monitored as well as placing her on an incontinent program. * * What are your observations of Mrs. Johnson at this time that you feel may have contributed to her fall? A number of factors may have contributed to Mrs. Johnson fall, confusion, unsteady gait, medical condition etc. * * What are the interventions you will put in place to prevent another fall? * Speak with the resident and try to find out how she starts her day, what activities she likes and how we the staff can assist her. Arrange for staff to accompany resident when she ambulates, frequent reminders, her cognitive and physical status will have to be fully evaluated to determine her level of alertness and what functions she is capable of performing by herself. * * What other care challenges does Mrs. Johnson present and what are some possible solutions? Frequent fall risk, wandering away and getting lost : the priority here is keeping her safe * * What information about Mrs. Johnson would you include on a caregiver assignment sheet? Increased confusion, forgetful and requires more assistance, patience and compassion * * How would you present the situation and your suggestions to her daughter? All of the above and explain to her daughter that she is not as independent as she was before and now requires more assistance. I would explain to resident’s daughter that there are specific measures that have to be done to maintain her dignity and safety, listen to daughter’s concern.

Mr. Howard has been a resident of Arbor Terrace for the past year. He is 82 years old and in good physical condition. He does not need any assistive devices and often passes for a visitor instead of a resident. Mr. Howard’s daughter moved him into Arbor Terrace because of his growing confusion. He lives in AL and spends much of his time near the front desk asking the receptionists what’s going on. After retiring from his job as a maintenance director at a large office park, he began doing volunteer custodial work at his church about 4 miles from the community. His church has been a very important part of his life. When he is out of sorts, he talks about wanting to leave. When he sees his daughter, he sometimes gets mad at her for bringing him to Arbor Terrace and may stay mad for a while after she leaves. Sometimes he has several good days or even weeks in a row. He gets along with some caregivers but not all. On Thursday at lunch time an RA noticed that Mr. Howard was not in the dining room. An hour after the search began; the community received a call from Mr. Howard’s church, 4 miles away. Mr. Howard had evidently taken the bus to his church.

* What are the immediate steps you would take regarding Mr. Howard upon his return to the community? Incident report, Notify his daughter and physician and remind resident to tell staff when he is leaving; Not knowing policy this is a jab in the dark * * How will you ensure Mr. Howard’s safety? Speak with resident, assign staff to monitor resident’s activity, door alarms

* What do you feel contributed to his elopement? Restlessness, prior familiarity with church activities. * * What engagement activities might be appropriate for Mr. Howard to participate in? Ask him what he would like to do, and go from there