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Enrolled Nurse Interview Questions

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated 17 January 2025
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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Enrolled Nurse interview questions and answers.

  1. What would you say are the most important qualities an enrolled nurse should have? See answer
  2. What would you do if you noticed another medical professional or fellow nurse making a mistake on the job? See answer
  3. How do you deal with stressful situations while on duty? See answer
  4. What would you consider the most challenging part about being an enrolled nurse? See answer
  5. How are you finding shift and night-time work? See answer
  6. Why did you decide to pursue a career as an enrolled nurse? See answer
  7. What would you do if you found yourself disagreeing with a doctor? See answer
  8. Why did you decide to leave your previous role? See answer
  9. What would you do if a senior nurse asked you to do something that is beyond your qualifications? See answer
  10. Have you ever had to deal with a particularly difficult patient in your role as enrolled nurse?
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Hire your next Enrolled Nurse today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

10 Enrolled Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

What would you say are the most important qualities an enrolled nurse should have?

To be an asset to your team, an enrolled nurse should be well-organised, have a caring nature and a keen interest in healthcare and medical processes. What to look for in an answer:

  • Excellent organisational and time management skills
  • Caring and empathetic nature
  • Good knowledge of medical procedures
Example:

 ‘I thoroughly enjoy assisting patients and see it as my calling. Medical processes have always interested me from a young age, so I couldn’t picture myself in any other role and want to pursue a long-term career in nursing.’

Have you ever had to deal with a particularly difficult patient in your role as an enrolled nurse?

Enrolled nurses are typically expected to have compassion and empathy for their patients. Some patients may be under a lot of stress and display some challenging behaviours. An enrolled nurse should be able to stay calm and reassure those patients. What to look for in an answer:

  • Care and empathy for patients
  • Ability to handle stressful situations
  • Calm demeanour
Example:

 ‘One night, an older patient kept pressing the call button and complained about things like the room temperature, thirst or hunger. After a while, I decided to sit down and have a chat with them, and it turned out they were worried about their pets at home. I was able to reassure them, and they decided they’d call the pet sitter in the morning. After that, they stopped worrying and fell asleep.’

What would you do if you noticed another medical professional or fellow nurse making a mistake on the job?

Wherever the human factor is at play, it is inevitable that people sometimes make mistakes. In a medical setting, this can have severe consequences for patients if undetected. An enrolled nurse should be able to raise concerns if necessary. What to look for in an answer:

  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Confidence to speak up
  • Communication skills
Example:

 ‘I once noticed that my colleague mixed up two patients’ charts. I approached them and calmly pointed out the issue. They were very appreciative and thanked me for letting them know. If there had been any uncertainty or conflict, I would have escalated the issue to our supervisor for further guidance.’

How do you deal with stressful situations while on duty?

Nursing can be stressful and demanding, especially in high-risk or emergency wards. As an enrolled nurse, it’s essential to stay calm and adapt to changing situations as they arise. What to look for in an answer:

  • Flexibility
  • Ability to stay calm under pressure
  • Resilience
Example:

 ‘One weekend, we were short-staffed on our ward, and I was concerned this would affect the level of care we offer our patients. I agreed to stay for two extra hours after my shift ended, and my colleagues did the same. This meant we could spread the workload and patient care wasn’t affected.’

What would you consider the most challenging part about being an enrolled nurse?

Nursing is a role that can have many ups and downs in just one shift. It can be difficult when a patient dies or is given an unexpected diagnosis. As an enrolled nurse, it’s important to perform well without letting emotions affect the level of care provided. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to deal with pressure and emotional situations
  • Resourceful, out-of-the-box thinking
  • Quickly adapts to changing situations
Example:

 ‘For me, the most challenging part of the role is having to deal with patients’ family members if there is a death or other bad news, such as a cancer diagnosis. I have found that it helps me to speak about my experiences with a counsellor. This gives me the strength to be there for patients and their families without it taking too much of an emotional strain on me, so I can continue to perform my role well.’

How are you finding shift and night-time work?

Enrolled nurses are typically expected to work in shifts. This means they will be rostered on and off and have to come into work on different days and during different times of the day. Weekends and night-time work are common. What to look for in an answer:

  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Willingness to work different shifts
  • Ability to perform well irrespective of day or time
Example:

 ‘I’ve been working shifts for as long as I can remember. I like the flexibility shift work gives me, as I can get things done during the day when shops and offices are less busy because other people are at work. I also don’t mind coming in on weekends, as it means I’ll have other days off instead. As I’m so used to this type of rostering, I’m able to perform well any time.’

Why did you decide to pursue a career as an enrolled nurse?

Nursing is a type of career that someone usually feels called to because they want to help people. In order to perform well, an enrolled nurse needs to have a real passion for the role and be comfortable with medical procedures. What to look for in an answer:

  • Interest in healthcare
  • A caring personality with the desire to help patients
  • Hands-on approach
Example:

 ‘I had both a parent and a grandparent who worked as nurses, so I grew up getting to know the ins and outs of the role and developed a keen interest in nursing from a young age. I really enjoy helping patients and supporting people in their health journey. Knowing that I’m making a difference in people’s lives is so rewarding.’

What would you do if you found yourself disagreeing with a doctor?

Nurses are part of a larger healthcare team. An enrolled nurse needs to be able to work with doctors and colleagues and have the ability to tactfully but confidently raise concerns if any irregularities are spotted. What to look for in an answer:

  • Teamwork
  • Ability to listen
  • Problem-solving skills
Example:

 ‘I once checked a patient’s prescription and noticed the strength didn’t seem right. I thought there was an extra zero at the end. I escalated my concern to my supervisor, who called the doctor. They double-checked and confirmed it was a typo, and they were grateful I spoke up.’

Why did you decide to leave your previous role?

It’s only natural that enrolled nurses want to change their working environment on occasion. Their reasons may be manifold, but can give you useful insights into the applicant’s personality and working methods. What to look for in an answer:

  • Respect for former employer and colleagues
  • Genuine reasons for leaving
  • Diplomacy
Example:

 ‘I was very happy in my former workplace and got on well with both my colleagues and superiors. However, my partner's job was relocated to a different town, so we had to move, and I’m looking for new employment here.’

What would you do if a senior nurse asked you to do something that is beyond your qualifications?

In stressful situations or busy environments, it can happen that someone is asked to pitch in and help out with a task even though they are not yet qualified to do so and therefore not legally permitted to carry out the task they’re given. If this happens, it’s important that an enrolled nurse takes the right course of action. What to look for in an answer:

  • Tactful communication
  • Knowledge of procedures and regulations
  • Ability to escalate to superiors
Example:

 ‘One night, we were understaffed, and a senior nurse asked me to perform a procedure on a patient for which I knew I was not yet qualified. I pointed this out to them and asked them to reassign the job to another colleague who was more qualified than me. We simply swapped tasks and the workload was still spread fairly among us, while adhering to regulations. Had my senior colleague insisted, I would have called on a supervisor for assistance.’

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