7 Key Neonatal Nurse Interview Questions to Ask

Neonatal nurses provide specialized care to newborns. These RNs usually work in neonatal intensive care units, but also provide services in birthing centers, emergency departments, and outpatient clinics. Caring for infants requires compassion, critical-thinking, and resilience. If you’re hiring one of these clinicians, crafting well-written neonatal nurse interview questions can help you identify the best candidate for the position.

In this article, we’ll list seven important neonatal nursing interview questions that can reveal a candidate’s skills and expertise. We’ll also outline answers you should listen for and follow-up questions you can ask to gain additional insight into a nurse’s professional background.

Before organizing your interview questions, you’ll need to develop an enticing neonatal nurse job description to showcase the perks of working at your facility. Explore other neonatal nurse jobs on our healthcare hiring board to ensure your position’s salary and benefits package stand out among the competition.

Once you’ve advertised your job posting, it’s time to draft your interview questions. Download our neonatal nurse evaluation form in the button below to help you fairly assess candidates and take note of individual nurse responses.

Neonatal Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

When developing interview questions for neonatal nurses, it’s important to consider your facility’s unique needs. Are you looking to hire an experienced nurse or are you open to recruiting new graduates? Do you require any certifications or competencies above and beyond normal neonatal nurse requirements? Be sure to focus your interview questions on identifying the skills, behavioral traits, and qualifications most helpful to neonatal nurses on your team.

1. What piqued your interest in neonatal nursing?

Starting off with introductory neonatal nurse interview questions like this one can help you get a feel for a nurse’s professionalism and conversational tone. Some candidates may have worked in other specialties prior to neonatology and are looking for a change. Other clinicians have worked in neonatal nursing for years and knew they wanted to care for infants in nursing school.

After a candidate answers, share a bit about your own professional background and how long you’ve worked for the organization. Take the opportunity to introduce the basics of the position and outline the duties and responsibilities required.

What to listen for:

• Shows passion, curiosity, and drive to improve patient outcomes
• Communicates clearly and speaks with a warm, professional tone

Potential follow-up questions:

• What do you enjoy most about being a neonatal nurse?
• How do your professional goals align with our organization’s mission, vision, and values?

2. How has your previous experience prepared you for this position?

Now that you understand why the candidate is interested in the position, it’s time to see if they have what it takes to be successful in the role. Even if a nurse has experience working with infants, they may not have the time management and critical thinking skills necessary for neonatology.

Assess the relevance of the nurse’s previous positions to get a true feel for their experience level. If the candidate is a new graduate, encourage them to share details on any clinical rotation, externship, or practicum experiences that helped them grow as a neonatal nurse.

What to listen for:

• Understands the specific challenges of neonatal nursing and feels confident and prepared to care for patients and their family members
• Displays a genuine interest in continued learning and professional growth within your organization

Potential follow-up questions:

• Have you ever served in a nursing leadership role?
• What common newborn health problems have you treated?

3. What neonatal nurse skills can you bring to our clinical team?

Answers to this neonatal nurse interview question show whether a candidate will fit in well with your company culture. If there are particular skills you’re looking for that the neonatal nurse hasn’t mentioned, you can ask about those directly.

What to listen for:

• Lists (and, ideally, embodies) skills like strong communication, honesty, advocacy, and critical thinking
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of the benefits of teamwork and collaboration

Potential follow-up questions:

• Have you been a part of any quality improvement or evidence-based practice initiatives? Describe your involvement.
• What do you find most challenging about neonatal nursing?

4. Describe a time when you made an error at work. How did you manage the situation and what did you do to prevent similar mistakes in the future?

In healthcare, mistakes happen every day. What’s important is that nurses are able to recognize when they’ve made an error, be honest enough to admit it, and work to correct the mistake before significant harm is done. If a candidate claims that they’ve never made a mistake on the job, it could be a red flag that they won’t be honest and transparent when a mistake happens in the future.

What to listen for:

• Shows honesty and integrity when sharing their mistake
• Seeks a solution that prioritizes patient safety and wellness

Potential follow-up questions:

• Have you ever been part of a poorly functioning team? How did you work to improve collaboration and communication?
• What would you do if you witnessed a coworker performing a task that went against company policy?

5. How would you provide wound care instruction to new parents?

In neonatal nursing, it’s essential that clinicians support and empower parents to care for their new baby. Some infants are discharged home with medications, respiratory machines, casts, or intravenous catheters. Ensuring that parents are comfortable and confident managing the care of their baby is important to keep the infant safe and free from infection.

What to listen for:

• Asks parents about their preferred learning method (demonstration, verbal explanation, written instructions) and provides instruction according to their preferences
• Allows parents the opportunity to ask clarifying questions

Potential follow-up questions:

• Which strategies do you use to reduce the risk of infection when completing a central line dressing change?
• How would you communicate with a distraught parent who has just received bad news?

6. If you were called to assist with an emergency cesarean delivery, what supplies would you bring to the operating room?

Neonatal nurses are often called in to assist with infant delivery. Because these situations can be hectic and stressful, RNs need to know which supplies are needed before they’re called to help.

Neonatal nurse interview questions like this one gauge a nurse’s ability to think on the spot. If a candidate is unsure of the equipment they’d need, they should know who to ask for help. If they aren’t able to answer the question, it could be a sign that they don’t have the level of experience you’re looking for.

What to listen for:

• Lists items like a stethoscope, pulse oximeter probe, patient monitor, intubation tray, crash cart, and suction catheter
• Demonstrates an understanding of the nursing chain-of-command

Potential follow-up questions:

• Do you have any experience working with the Neonatal Resuscitation Protocol (NRP).
• How do you ensure normothermia in premature newborns?

7. How do you plan to manage the emotional challenges of neonatal nursing?

Working in a neonatal unit can be physically and emotionally demanding. You’ll want to ensure that the nurse you hire has resilience and strength to handle the challenges. Answers to this neonatal nurse interview question should highlight an RN’s ability to get through tough shifts and find work-life balance on days off.

What to listen for:

• Demonstrates an awareness of the challenges of neonatal nursing
• Participates in hobbies, activities, or clubs outside of work

Potential follow-up questions:

• How would you support a coworker who was having a tough shift?
• Have you ever taken part in any community health or charitable events?

Match With the Qualified Clinicians You Need

Developing a set of strong neonatal nurse interview questions can help you fill your vacancy, but first you’ll need qualified applicants to apply. Want to connect with the best in the industry? Get started on the nation’s top healthcare hiring board to reach over 1 million qualified candidates ready to work.