Common Interview Questions

Common verbal interview questions for CRNA jobs:

• How would you describe yourself?
• How would your boss describe you?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Give an example of a recent conflict you encountered and how you dealt with it.
• Tell us your short term goals.
• What are your long term goals? (1-5yrs)
• Tell us about a time where you did something wrong and describe what you did about it.
• What is your definition of “professionalism”?
• When did you know you wanted to be a CRNA?
• If you were a CRNA preceptor and your student hung a levophed drip instead of a lidocaine drip how would you handle that?
• What extra curricular activities are you involved in?
• What was the last journal article you read?
• Tell me about your nursing experience.
• Why do you want to become a CRNA?
• Tell us what steps you have taken to get ready for this program?
  • Financially?
  • Academically?
  • Professionally?
  • On a personal level – with your family, girlfriend, spouse, etc?
• Anesthesia is stressful. How do you handle stress?
• In a group, what role do you play?

Common written interview questions:

• The monitor goes flatline during a case – what is the first thing you do?
• Tell me how you float a swan – (name the chambers).
• What is renal dose dopamine?
• List 3 cases of postoperative tachycardia.
• List 3 interventions for a patient having crushing chest pain radiating to the jaw.
• List interventions for a patient high pressure limiting on the vent
• ACLS interventions including doses.
• Figure out a dobutamine gtt.
• Figure out a sample ABG.
• Write an essay on JHACO’s safe patient standards and how that relates to your current practice.

A few other interview prep tips:

• Visit the AANA and your state nurse anesthesia association website and be prepared to discuss any current topics of interest in anesthesia.
• Some schools are doing practical interviews, now, too, where you may be thrown into a mock clinical situation and asked to provide care for a patient…be yourself, be confident and take action!