35 nurse practitioner interview questions to hire top talent (+ sample answers)

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses who act as a primary point of contact for patients and provide vital support to physicians. They can request and read lab tests, diagnose illnesses, and prescribe medications and treatment. 

Given the importance of the role and the fact that it directly impacts patient care and overall medical outcomes, it’s paramount that you hire the right candidate. Accurately evaluating nursing skills during the recruitment process is key to building a competent and efficient healthcare team.

To achieve this, using the right nurse practitioner interview questions is essential – along with skills tests to evaluate applicants’ expertise and abilities. As opposed to simply screening resumes, this approach provides an accurate overview of an individual’s skills and knowledge and enables you to make the right hiring decisions at all times. 

In this article, we’ve collected the best interview questions for nurse practitioners, along with sample answers to help you evaluate their skills and hire the best candidates.

Top 25 nurse practitioner interview questions and answers

Below, you’ll find 25 interview questions you can use to evaluate nurse practitioners’ skills, knowledge, and experience.

For the best results, we recommend using a structured approach to interviews, where you ask all applicants the same questions in the same order – but you can, of course, use follow-up questions whenever needed.

1. Describe a complex patient case you managed. What were the challenges and how did you address them?

Applicants’ answers will inevitably be very varied. Look for examples of cases where nurse practitioners needed to manage multiple conditions at once (for example, multiple chronic illnesses) and balance treatment and medications for each without exacerbating another. 

The best candidates will explain how they: 

• Reviewed the patient’s medical history and files

• Prescribed diagnostic tests as needed

• Worked with other healthcare workers to build a holistic treatment plan

• Explained treatment options to the patient and empowered them to make an informed decision

• Made regular case reviews to adjust treatment as needed

2. What strategies do you use to manage a patient who is not compliant with their treatment plan?

When managing a non-compliant patient, nurse practitioners should first seek to understand the underlying reasons for their non-compliance, and see whether they're related to their lifestyle or preferences, or due to a lack of understanding. 

Then, they’d review the treatment plan with the patient and ensure they feel involved in the decisions – and provide alternatives whenever possible. This helps promote a sense of autonomy and respect for the patient’s choices and establish a more cooperative patient-provider relationship.

3. What's your experience in managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension?

Experienced candidates will have extensive experience in managing chronic disease. Look for professionals who are able to take a holistic approach and consider all factors that contribute to the patient's health, including diet, exercise, medication adherence, and mental health. 

In healthcare, teamwork is essential, so look for the right team-player qualities in your candidates. They should be able to explain the strategies they’d use to work with other professionals to achieve better results for patients who deal with chronic illness. 

4. How would you handle a situation where a patient is not responding to standard treatment?

When a patient is not responding to the first line of treatment, skilled nurse practitioners would reassess the diagnosis and treatment plan, considering any potential factors that might have been overlooked. Then, they might: 

• Seek a second opinion

• Adjust medication dosages and schedule

• Explore other treatment options

• Consider using an adjunctive therapy 

In this process, maintaining transparent communication with the patient and their family is essential. 

5. How do you manage your time effectively during a busy shift?

Time management is a vital skill for healthcare professionals. During busy shifts, experienced nurse practitioners would: 

• Prioritize tasks based on urgency and patient needs

• Delegate tasks to other team members

• Communicate effectively with the team, for example through brief, regular meetings

Staying organized and maintaining flexibility are very important in managing an increased workload. 

6. What is your approach to pain management? How do you minimize the risk of opioid addiction?

Look for candidates who demonstrate a strong understanding of the risks of opioid dependence and work to minimize them while providing excellent patient care. 

Are candidates aware of non-pharmacological methods they can use to manage patients’ pain? Do they advocate for therapeutic approaches that can help minimize reliance on medications, such as physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relaxation techniques? What’s their approach to prescribing opioids? Do they focus on patient education and start with the lowest effective dose? 

7. Can you tell us about a time when you had to deliver bad news to a patient's family? How did you do it?

Delivering bad news is always challenging; this question will help you get a better understanding of applicants’ communication competence skills. 

Experienced professionals will give examples of conversations they approached with empathy and honesty, in which they were clear and direct about the diagnosis but also took the time to listen to families’ responses, answer their questions, and ensure they understood the situation correctly. 

Discussing the next steps and available options are also crucial parts of such conversations.

8. Imagine a situation where a patient refuses treatment? What would you do?

Experienced candidates will probably have a few examples of situations where patients refused treatment. They should always: 

• Explore the reasons behind the decision

• Make sure the patient is aware of the consequences 

• Provide clear, factual information

• Address the patient’s concerns

• Discuss suitable treatment alternatives or next steps

• Respect the patient’s decisions, priorities, and wishes 

9. What is your approach to working with interdisciplinary teams in a hospital setting?

When working with multidisciplinary healthcare teams, candidates should be focused on open communication and discussion. 

Do candidates actively participate in team meetings? Do they seek out others’ opinions and make sure everybody is on the same page? Are they capable of resolving conflict in a productive way, focusing on the patient’s interests at all times? Do they understand the value of shared decision-making in a hospital setting?

10. Can you give an example of how you have contributed to improving patient care in your unit or department?

Look for answers that demonstrate a willingness to reassess and reevaluate existing procedures to make sure they adhere to best practices. Some applicants might explain that they focused on better patient education. Others might mention they implemented checklists to make sure teams aren’t missing anything when working together. 

Whatever the specific example is, candidates should be able to explain how it helped achieve better outcomes for patients and improve the level of care.

11. How do you maintain patient confidentiality in a busy hospital environment?

Maintaining patient confidentiality is essential. Candidates should always ensure that all conversations regarding patients are held in private settings and that only authorized staff can access health records. 

They might also explain how they educate new team members about our confidentiality protocols and the importance of HIPAA compliance. Regularly updating passwords and ensuring secure storage of sensitive information should also be part of their efforts to safeguard patient privacy.

12. How would you handle a situation where a coworker is underperforming?

Skilled nurse practitioners would be able to approach such situations with empathy and first enquire about any underlying issues their coworker might be dealing with. They should find a way to discuss their performance constructively and focus on maintaining the quality of patient care and ensuring team cohesion. If the issue persists, nurse practitioners might decide to talk with more senior staff members to find solutions. 

13. Describe a time when you had to manage a patient's rapidly deteriorating condition.

In such situations, nurse practitioners should be able to quickly assess the situation, initiate necessary interventions (such as CPR) and contact the emergency response team. 

Look for answers that demonstrate the candidate’s ability to remain calm under pressure and react swiftly to changing circumstances in order to stabilize the patient.

14. How do you ensure continuity of care during shift changes?

Here, applicants might talk about using the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework to ensure the smooth change of staff. They might go into the details of how they communicate key information, such as patient status, recent changes, or pending tasks, to maintain excellent patient care. 

15. Describe your approach to treating a pediatric patient with asthma.

Treating a pediatric patient with asthma involves a comprehensive, family-centered approach. 

Candidates might explain that they’d start by educating the family about asthma triggers and management strategies, ensuring they understand how to use inhalers and recognize signs of an exacerbation. Their treatment plan should be tailored to the child's age and severity of symptoms and include medication, lifestyle adjustments, and regular follow-up visits to monitor progress.

16. An elderly patient is resistant to changes in their medication regimen. How do you handle this situation?

If a patient resists changes to their treatment regimen, skilled nurse practitioners would approach the situation with sensitivity and patience. 

They would take the time to explain the reasons for the change, focusing on how it benefits the patient’s health and quality of life and involve them in the decision-making process, respecting their autonomy and preferences. 

Providing reassurance, addressing concerns, and offering continuous support are key to facilitating a smooth transition to the new regimen.

17. Tell us about your experience with electronic health records (EHR) systems.

Use this question to assess applicants’ proficiency with the software tools they’ll be using. Have they already used electronic health records (EHR) or electronic medical records (EMR) systems and how exactly? Skilled candidates would be able to explain that EHR and EMR systems help: 

• Streamline patient care

• Improve documentation accuracy

• Facilitate communication among healthcare providers

Software they might’ve used in the past include Epic EMR, Kareo Clinical, Meditech Expanse, and more.

18. What’s your process for reporting medical errors?

Candidates should understand the importance of documenting errors accurately and promptly and adhering to the hospital or facility’s protocols. They should maintain transparency and accountability at all times and focus on learning from the error and prevent future occurrences; this requires analyzing the causes and implementing the necessary corrective actions as a part of a continuous improvement process.

17 additional nurse practitioner interview questions you can ask

If you need more ideas on what to ask applicants, below you’ll find a list of 17 extra interview questions for nurse practitioners.

1. What strategies do you use to motivate patients to participate actively in their own care?

2. Have you been involved in any clinical research projects?

3. Can you give an example of a time when you changed your practice based on new research findings?

4. Describe how you would approach a situation where the best practice guidelines contradict the preferences of your patient.

5. Can you provide an example of a time when you had to coordinate a patient's care with other healthcare providers outside your own unit?

6. How do you prioritize care for multiple patients with varying degrees of acuity?

7. How do you prioritize your tasks when you have multiple critical patients who need your attention at the same time?

8. Can you give an example of a time you made a mistake in your care? How did you handle it?

9. How do you ensure that you're delivering culturally competent care to a diverse patient population?

10. Describe a challenging interaction you had with a patient's family. How did you handle it?

11. Can you discuss a time when you contributed to improving a protocol in your unit?

12. How do you deal with the challenges of working irregular hours, nights, and weekends?

13. What are your strategies for preventing exhaustion and burnout? 

14. How do you manage your personal emotions and stress in a high-pressure environment?

15. How do you approach a situation where a patient's preferences contradict their family's wishes?

16. Describe how you would handle a situation where you noticed a colleague making a potentially harmful mistake.

17. How do you ensure effective communication with patients who have limited health literacy?

How to evaluate nurse practitioner skills

When it comes to evaluating the skills of someone who might be responsible for a patient’s life, a combination of qualification requirements, skills tests, and the right interview questions is the most effective method.

Skills tests can serve as an initial filter, enabling you to swiftly shortlist candidates with the necessary competencies. You can also add qualifying questions to check whether applicants meet your formal requirements before they take an assessment, saving everyone’s time. 

Next, you can invite the most skilled candidates to an interview to further assess their strengths and weaknesses with the help of our interview questions above. After that, you’ll have enough data to determine whom to hire easily. 

This skills-first approach creates an unbiased and objective recruitment process that leads to better hires and reduced hiring costs (for 78% of surveyed employers). This ultimately contributes to building a skilled and proficient healthcare team that can deliver high quality patient care.

Here are some of the skills tests from our test library that you can use to hire nurse practitioners:

• Motivation: This test enables you to check whether candidates’ expectations align with what you can offer.

• Attention to Detail: Nurses and nurse practitioners need excellent attention to detail to make sure they’re not missing anything when working with patients and other healthcare staff.

• Telehealth: Evaluate applicants’ ability to deliver healthcare remotely with this test.

• Communication: Are candidates able to communicate clearly and efficiently with other healthcare professionals and with patients? Identify top communicators with this test.

• Leadership and People Management: Nurse practitioners might be in charge of teams of nurses and other staff. With this test, you can evaluate their leadership skills and suitability for a managerial position.

• Time Management: Busy shifts require excellent time management. Make sure your applicants have what it takes to provide excellent patient care in a dynamic setting.

Hire a skilled nurse practitioner with the help of skills tests and structured interviews

There are more than 385,000 registered nurse practitioners in the US – and thousands more complete their training every year.

With such a vast pool of candidates, each having different specializations and areas of expertise, choosing the right one is key to providing the best care to your patients.

This is where skills-based hiring becomes useful. It streamlines your nurse practitioner recruitment process by enabling you to shortlist candidates who fulfill your requirements and filter out those who are unqualified. Then, you can invite your best talent to an interview. Use the questions above to gather additional insights into applicants’ skills and decide whom to hire.

Want to know more about how skills-based hiring is helping companies in every industry reinvent their hiring processes? Sign up for our free demo to chat with our experts – or try out our free plan to start building your first talent assessment.