LPN Interview Questions (Canada)
13 LPN / RPN interview questions Canadian employers ask, with what panels look for and STAR outlines — scope, medication safety, escalation and teamwork.
What to expect
LPN and RPN interviews in Canada are usually panel interviews with a nurse manager and a clinical educator or senior nurse. They lean heavily on behaviour-based and scenario questions: medication safety, recognising deterioration, working within scope, communicating with RNs and physicians, and caring for patients with dementia or at end of life.
See the matching NOC 32101 guide, the resume example, and the cover letter example.
What's different about licensed practical nurse interviews in Canada
- Scope of practice is set provincially and by employer policy. Panels want to hear you know when to act and when to consult an RN or physician.
- Health authorities and hospitals often use standardised behavioural questions scored against competencies; STAR answers fit that format well.
- Many nursing roles in Canada are unionised; seniority affects shifts and postings, and interviews may follow a set script.
- Long-term care questions frequently cover responsive behaviours, falls prevention and families.
- In Quebec, nursing assistants (infirmières auxiliaires) are regulated by their own order and interviews are typically in French.
13 Licensed Practical Nurse interview questions with answer outlines
A resident's blood pressure is much lower than their baseline and they seem more confused. What do you do? (Situational)
What they're looking for: Recognising change in condition, assessment and timely escalation.
STAR outline: Ensure safety, reassess vitals and do a focused assessment (blood sugar, oxygen saturation, recent meds, signs of infection), report to the RN or physician using SBAR, follow orders, monitor closely and document.
Tell me about a time you prevented a medication error. (Behavioural)
What they're looking for: Medication safety habits and speaking up.
STAR outline: S: New order looked like ten times the usual dose. T: Confirm before giving. A: Held the dose, checked the original order and the MAR, called the prescriber through the RN, documented. R: Order was corrected; the unit added a double-check for that drug.
Walk me through the rights of medication administration. (Technical)
What they're looking for: Complete, practical knowledge.
Strong answer covers: Right patient (two identifiers), drug, dose, route, time, reason and documentation — plus checking allergies, assessing before and after PRNs, and knowing when to hold a dose.
You're assigned a patient whose care is beyond your scope. What do you do? (Situational)
What they're looking for: Understanding of scope and professional responsibility.
STAR outline: Raise it with the charge nurse before starting, explain why, suggest a reassignment or collaboration with an RN, and document the discussion. Never take on care you're not authorised for.
Describe a time you supported a family through a difficult situation. (Behavioural)
What they're looking for: Compassion and communication.
STAR outline: S: Family upset about a resident's decline. T: Support them and keep care on track. A: Found a private space, listened, explained what I could within my role, arranged a meeting with the RN and physician. R: Family felt heard and joined care planning.
How do you assess and document a pressure injury? (Technical)
What they're looking for: Wound-care knowledge and documentation.
Strong answer covers: Assess location, stage, size, wound bed, exudate, odour and surrounding skin; check pain and risk factors; follow the care plan; document consistently and report deterioration.
A resident with dementia becomes agitated and strikes out during care. What do you do? (Situational)
What they're looking for: Responsive-behaviour approaches and safety.
STAR outline: Step back and keep everyone safe, use calm voice and simple words, look for triggers (pain, toileting, noise), try again later or with a familiar staff member, and document and share strategies with the team.
Tell me about a conflict with a coworker and how you resolved it. (Behavioural)
What they're looking for: Professionalism and teamwork.
STAR outline: S: A health care aide and I disagreed about the order of morning care. T: Resolve it without affecting residents. A: Spoke privately after the rush, listened to her concerns about heavy-lift residents, and agreed a sequence that spread the two-person transfers out; we checked it with the charge nurse. R: Mornings ran more smoothly and we worked well together afterwards.
What do you include in an SBAR report? (Technical)
What they're looking for: Structured communication.
Strong answer covers: Situation (what's happening now), Background (relevant history and meds), Assessment (your findings), Recommendation (what you need: assessment, orders, transfer).
You're behind on your med pass and a new admission arrives. How do you prioritise? (Situational)
What they're looking for: Prioritisation and asking for help.
STAR outline: Give time-critical meds first (insulin, antibiotics, analgesia), inform the charge nurse, ask a colleague to help with the admission or tasks, and document any late medications per policy.
Tell me about a time you advocated for a patient. (Behavioural)
What they're looking for: Advocacy within the team.
STAR outline: S: A resident with dementia was grimacing and refusing care, but her pain wasn't being picked up. T: Get her pain reassessed. A: Used a non-verbal pain scale for three shifts, documented the pattern, and presented it to the RN and physician with SBAR. R: Her analgesia was adjusted and she accepted care more easily.
How do you prevent infection transmission on your unit? (Technical)
What they're looking for: IPAC basics.
Strong answer covers: Hand hygiene at the right moments, appropriate PPE and additional precautions, cleaning shared equipment, recognising outbreak signs early and reporting to IPAC.
Why do you want to work on this unit? (Behavioural)
What they're looking for: Research and fit.
STAR outline: Connect your experience and goals to the patient population and the unit's model of care, and mention learning opportunities you're excited about.
Full STAR-method sample answer
Question: Tell me about a time you recognised a patient was deteriorating.
Situation. During an evening shift in long-term care, a resident who was usually chatty seemed drowsy and was not eating.
Task. Work out whether this was a serious change and get the right help.
Action. I checked vital signs and found a fever and low oxygen saturation, did a focused assessment, and called the RN using SBAR. With the RN, we contacted the on-call physician, started ordered treatment and increased monitoring overnight.
Result. The resident was treated early for a chest infection and recovered without a hospital transfer. The RN shared the case at the next team huddle.
Smart questions to ask back
- What does orientation look like for LPNs on this unit?
- How are assignments shared between RNs and LPNs?
- What learning opportunities are available (IV, wound care, education days)?
- What's the typical staffing ratio on days and nights?