Orthopaedic Nursing Interview Questions

“Orthopaedic nursing is a field which allows you to be involved throughout the whole care of the patient and is very rewarding due to this… it really helped to build the foundations of my nursing career whilst also allowing to me gain lots of new skills that have helped in future roles.”

Being an Orthopaedic Nurse is a rewarding career, but how do you prepare for and do well in your interview? Jonathan goes through some common questions you might be asked, and how best answer them.

Orthopaedic nursing is a field of nursing which primarily focuses on people with musculoskeletal/bone injuries that can be both acute and chronic.

Orthopaedics’ is commonly split into two, often referred to as emergency and elective. Emergency cases are those people who have suffered an unplanned trauma such as trips, falls or accidents thus needing immediate care. Elective cases are those who have an identified orthopaedic problem such as requiring a hip or knee replacement. Elective cases will have a schedule which will include preoperative assessments, scheduled operation date and possible rehabilitation.

Orthopaedic nursing is a field which allows you to be involved throughout the whole care of the patient and is very rewarding due to this. I personally went into orthopaedics as a Newly Qualified Nurse, and it really helped to build the foundations of my nursing career whilst also allowing me to gain lots of new skills that have helped in future roles.

Common Interview Questions

Interviews can be emotionally and mentally draining, as well as scary to prepare for. I have listed some questions you might expect to be asked in an interview and how to best answer them.

Why Do You Want To Be An Orthopaedic Nurse?

For me, I had done two placements in trauma and orthopaedics, enjoyed the acuity of the ward and was confident it would build great foundations for the beginning of my nursing career. The structure and daily tasks on the ward suited my style of how I wanted to my role as a nurse to develop.

Try not to be generic with your answer, and you can make it personal; that’s a good way to make an impression.

Do You Have Good Medication Knowledge?

Medications are important part of nursing, and orthopaedics is no different. If applying for a hospital role it is very useful to read up on anti-coagulants, commonly used antibiotics, pain medications and vitamin D medications often used post-surgery.

Some medications must be omitted or altered around surgical procedures.

What Complications Might You Expect After Surgery?

Surgery poses a risk whatever the procedure is. Knowledge around sepsis is absolutely crucial, so make sure to learn the Sepsis 6 Care Bundle and research extra courses/learning, as this could save your patient. Your part is pivotal in diagnosis often through post operative care (clinical observations).

You may also need to consider pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), compartment syndrome, uncontrollable pain levels and abnormal clinical observations also.

Orthopaedic nursing is a field which allows you to be involved throughout the whole care of the patient and is very rewarding due to this… it really helped to build the foundations of my nursing career whilst also allowing to me gain lots of new skills that have helped in future roles.

What Would You Consider The Most Difficult Part Of Working As An Orthopaedic Nurse?

This is a little bit of a trick question as it depends on you as an individual. The best answer would be based around ensuring that patients are prioritised according to their needs but making sure you have flexibility in your approach as situations can change rapidly.

What Surgical Procedures Might Your Patients Be Having?

Have a read up on the Trust you are interviewing for and study their trauma network. Research common orthopaedic operations they perform, such as hip surgery, knee surgery, etc; make sure to look at the different operations involved.

For example, if you were looking at hip surgery you might want to research Hemiarthroplasty, common procedure in most orthopaedic departments.

How Would You Encourage Patients To Acknowledge Advice On Walking With Or Without Aids Given By Physiotherapists?

This will be one of the most common battles you will face with orthopaedic patients. Some will have listened to exactly what the physio has said and will even instruct you if you are explaining the task different to the advice of the physio. Then there are the other two types of patients, those that think they know best and want to do everything their own way, and the confused patient who may not be able to understand or remember instructions given.

Always remember you are trying to deliver best care and that is what these instructions represent. Explain why we do things in this way and what might occur if this is not followed. For the confused patient you may have to explain each time like it’s the first time.

Patience, kindness, and friendliness are the most important characteristics.

Other Questions

You will likely get asked several generic questions such as strengths/weaknesses, where you want to be in five years, any outside interests and how you think your friends or colleagues would describe you.

Remember to do your research, answer everything honestly and try to give personal answers as this helps you stand out from the crowd and shows dedication to the role.

Thanks for reading.