LPN screening questions: license, scope limits, IV skills and setting fit
On this page
- First, check the job fits inside LPN scope
- License questions: title, state and where to check
- IV therapy and other added skills
- Setting questions: long-term care, clinics, home care and corrections
- Scenario questions that show where the candidate stops
- Where LPN experience gets overstated
- Shifts, pay and the knockout checklist
- Lawful phrasing for LPN screens
- Questions people ask
LPN screening questions should settle three things before anything else: an active practical or vocational nursing license in the job's state, whether the job actually fits inside LPN scope under that state's rules (or quietly needs an RN), and whether the candidate has done the specific added skills the client needs, such as IV therapy, a 25-resident med pass or charge duties on nights. After that, screen setting fit, documentation and shift reliability. The questions below come with strong answers, red flags and a knockout list.
This page is about the practical nurse's job, not the RN's. The nurse phone screen questions cover RN units, acuity and travel contracts; the license and compact checks work the same way for LPNs, so this page does not repeat them in depth. What is different here is scope: an LPN placed into a role that needs RN judgment is a problem for the nurse, the client and you. For nursing assistants, use the CNA screening questions.
First, check the job fits inside LPN scope
Most failed LPN placements are not about the candidate. They are about a requisition written for "a nurse" where some duties need an RN. State boards set scope, and it varies, but the pattern is similar in many states. The Texas Board of Nursing's nursing practice FAQs are one of the clearest published examples, as of September 2026:
- Directed scope. LVN practice is "a directed scope of nursing practice" under the supervision of an RN, APRN, physician assistant, physician, podiatrist or dentist (Board Rule 217.11(2)).
- Focused, not comprehensive, assessment. LVNs may only conduct focused assessments, the status of a patient at that moment. RNs conduct comprehensive assessments, and an LVN cannot do part of one for the RN to finish.
- Care plans. LVNs may not initiate care plans; they contribute to them. Only the RN develops the initial nursing care plan.
- Triage. The board's opinion is that telephone or on-site triage by an LVN that requires a comprehensive assessment and independent treatment decisions is beyond LVN scope.
- Co-signing. An RN co-signing a task outside LVN scope does not make it acceptable. The board's words: a nurse "never functions 'under the license' of another nurse."
Settings add their own rules. In Medicare home health, 42 CFR 484.55 says a registered nurse must conduct the initial assessment visit, and the comprehensive assessment is done by an RN unless therapy is the only service ordered. In nursing facilities, 42 CFR 483.35 requires a licensed nurse as charge nurse on each tour of duty and an RN for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, which is why so many evening and night charge roles go to LPNs.
Before you screen anyone, put these questions to the client:
| Ask the client | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Will this nurse do admissions, initial assessments or care plans? | In many states these are RN work. If yes, you may need an RN, or an RN on site to do them. |
| Who supervises the LPN on each shift, and are they on site? | Nights with no RN in the building change what the LPN is being asked to decide alone. |
| Which IV tasks does your policy allow LPNs to do, and what proof do you need? | IV rules differ by state and facility policy; you need to know what to ask for. |
| Does the role take phone calls from patients or families about symptoms? | That can become triage, which some boards place outside LPN scope. |
| How many residents or patients are on the med pass, and is charge part of it? | The single best predictor of whether an LPN copes on day one. |
License questions: title, state and where to check
California and Texas license vocational nurses (LVNs); most states license practical nurses (LPNs). Both pass the NCLEX-PN. The compact covers them: NCSBN's travel nurse FAQ says an RN or LPN/VN whose primary state of residence is a compact state can hold one multistate license, and that employers can check authority to practice as an RN or LPN/VN through Nursys QuickConfirm. For boards that do not participate, use the board's own lookup. California LVNs, for example, are licensed by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, which has its own online license verification.
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Which state licenses do you hold, and is your home state license multistate? | Names each license and its renewal month, and knows whether the home license is multistate. | "It's a compact license" while their driver's license is from a non-compact state. |
| For this job in [state], which license will you work under? | A current license there, a multistate license from their home compact state, or an endorsement application with a date. | Assumes an LVN license from California works in Nevada. |
| Are you enrolled in an RN or LPN-to-RN program? | A straight answer, with class days, so you can check the schedule against the shifts. | Says no, then the class schedule appears at offer and knocks out two shifts a week. |
| Have you ever held an RN license, or sat the NCLEX-RN? | "No," or a clear explanation. Useful context either way. | A lapsed or surrendered RN license described vaguely. Check Nursys for both license types. |
| Has any board ever taken action on a license you hold? | "No," or dates and the outcome, stated directly. | "Nothing serious." Look it up before the submittal. |
IV therapy and other added skills
IV skills are the most overstated line on an LPN resume, because basic LPN education does not always cover them and the rules differ so much. Two state examples, as of September 2026:
- California. The BVNPT FAQ says an LVN "must be certified by the Board to perform intravenous therapy or blood withdrawal." Its post-licensure page lists course minimums: IV therapy at least 30 hours (24 theory, 6 clinical), blood withdrawal at least 3 theory and 3 clinical hours, and the combined IVBW course at least 36 hours.
- Texas. The board's Position Statement 15.3 says an LVN should not engage in IV therapy, including venipuncture, IV fluids and IV push medications, until completing a validation course. The board does not define that course, and whether an LVN gives IV push or titrates drips "is up to facility policy."
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Which IV tasks have you done in the last year: starts, hanging fluids, piggybacks, pushes, PICC or central line care? | Separates each task and says which their last employer's policy allowed. | "I do IVs." One phrase covering everything from flushing a saline lock to pushes. |
| Where did your IV training or certification come from, and can you send the certificate? | Names the course or board certification and when, and offers the paperwork. | "I learned on the job" in a state that requires board certification. |
| What other skills are you signed off for: trach care, G-tube feeds, wound vacs, dialysis? | Names the competencies with where they were checked off. | Skills learned in school years ago listed as current. |
Setting questions: long-term care, clinics, home care and corrections
LPNs work in very different jobs under one title. Ask about the setting first, then use the questions for it.
Long-term care and skilled nursing
-
"How many residents were on your med pass, and how long did it take?"
- Strong answer: a number, the shift, and how they handled a pass that ran late, such as prioritizing time-critical medications and telling the supervisor.
- Red flags: no number, or a pass much smaller than the client's with no sense of the difference.
-
"Have you been charge nurse, and what did that include on your shift?"
- Strong answer: "Charge on evenings for 42 residents: assigning aides, calling providers with changes, handling admissions paperwork the RN then assessed."
- Red flags: describes doing the admission assessment and care plan alone, in a state where that is RN work. Note it; do not judge it on the call.
-
"Which system did you use for the MAR and treatment records?"
- Strong answer: names it (PointClickCare, MatrixCare or the client's EHR) and how they documented refusals and held doses.
- Red flags: never used an electronic MAR, for a client that is fully electronic.
Physician offices and clinics
- "Did you handle patient calls? What did you do when someone called with symptoms?" Strong: took the message, followed the practice's protocol, and routed it to the provider or RN. Red flag: describes deciding on their own whether the patient needs to be seen.
- "Which injections and vaccines did you give, and how were orders documented?" Strong: specific vaccines and routes, and standing orders or provider orders in the chart.
Private duty and home care
- "Tell me about your last case: age, equipment, hours." Pediatric private duty often means trachs, ventilators and G-tubes. Strong: names the ventilator and the emergency plan, such as a trach change drill. Red flag: has never done a trach change and the case requires it.
- "Who was your RN supervisor, and how often did they visit?" A strong candidate knows who they called and when.
Corrections
- "How did med pass and sick call work, and how did you handle security procedures?" Strong: describes pill line, counts and escorts. Red flag: surprised by the idea of working under security rules.
Scenario questions that show where the candidate stops
You are not assessing clinical judgment; the client will. You are listening for whether the candidate knows when to hand a decision to the RN or provider. That boundary is what makes an LPN safe to place.
| Scenario | Strong answer | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| "A resident who is usually chatty is confused this afternoon and has a low-grade fever. What do you do?" | Checks vitals and what they can observe, notifies the RN or provider promptly, documents, and watches for the response to orders. | Waits for the next shift, or starts a treatment without an order. |
| "The DON asks you to do tonight's admission assessment and write the care plan because no RN is on. What do you say?" | Explains they can collect data and do a focused assessment, and that the comprehensive assessment and care plan need the RN, per their state's rules. | "I do it all the time, the RN signs later." |
| "A patient's daughter calls the clinic asking whether her mother's new swelling is serious." | Gathers the information, does not advise, and routes it to the provider or RN per protocol. | Tells her it is probably fine. |
| "You're asked to push an IV medication you have never given." | Declines until trained and checked off, and says who they would tell. | "I'd look it up and give it." |
Where LPN experience gets overstated
- "Charge nurse" on every resume. In long-term care, the LPN on a hall may be called charge nurse. Ask how many residents, which staff they assigned, and whether an RN was in the building.
- IV skills as a single line. "IV certified" can mean a board certification, a facility check-off or a class from school. Ask which, and for the paper.
- Clinic time counted as acute care. A clinic LPN may not have done a med pass for thirty people. Ask about patient counts per shift.
- RN student hours described as RN experience. Clinical rotations in an RN program are not RN practice. Ask what they were paid to do.
- Private duty with one patient described as home health. One pediatric case for three years is valuable and different from visiting six patients a day.
Shifts, pay and the knockout checklist
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| The role is [shift] with every other weekend and a holiday rotation. Can you work that? | A yes or no to each part, with any exception now. | "I'm flexible," then no weekends at offer. |
| How many shifts did you call off in the last six months? | A number and the reasons. | "Never," alongside several short jobs. |
| Do you work anywhere else, and how do the schedules fit? | Clear hours at each job, no back-to-back doubles. | Plans to go straight from a night shift elsewhere into a day shift here. |
| What hourly rate do you need, and do differentials change it? | A number, and which shifts they take at which rate. | No number. See salary expectation questions for asking without pay history. |
Knockouts (all must be yes)
- Active LPN or LVN license valid in the job's state, verified in Nursys or the board's own lookup.
- The role's duties fit LPN scope in that state, confirmed with the client, including who does assessments and care plans.
- Any IV or specialty task the client requires is backed by the certification or check-off the state and client accept.
- Recent experience in a comparable setting and patient count, or the client accepts a newer nurse.
- Can work the stated shift, weekends and holidays, with school or second-job schedules disclosed.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope awareness | Describes RN tasks as routine | Correct when prompted | Names where they stop and who they call, unprompted |
| Setting match | Different setting only | Similar setting, smaller load | Same setting and comparable med pass or caseload |
| Added skills | Claimed, no proof | Proof for some | Documented for every skill the client needs |
| Reliability | Frequent call-offs or short stints | Occasional, explained | Stable tenure or completed assignments |
Lawful phrasing for LPN screens
Health screens, TB tests and immunization records come after the offer through the client's occupational health process. The EEOC's guidance on pre-employment disability-related questions allows questions about ability to do the job, not about medical conditions before an offer.
| Do not ask | Ask instead |
|---|---|
| "Any health problems that would make twelve-hour shifts hard?" | "The role is three twelve-hour shifts a week, including one weekend day. Can you work that schedule?" |
| "Do you have kids at home?" | "This is a 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift with mandatory holiday rotation. Can you commit to it?" |
| "When did you finish nursing school?" | "How many years have you worked as an LPN in long-term care?" |
A per diem LPN desk can run a dozen of these screens a day, and the answers that matter most, which IV tasks, which license, who supervised, are the ones that blur by evening. Interview Signal keeps the must-ask scope and license questions on screen and ticks them off as they are covered, and the transcript keeps the candidate's exact wording for the client.
Questions people ask
Is an LVN the same as an LPN?
Yes, for screening purposes. California and Texas use the title licensed vocational nurse; most other states use licensed practical nurse. Both pass the NCLEX-PN. In California, LVNs are licensed by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, not the Board of Registered Nursing, so check the right board.
Does the Nurse Licensure Compact cover LPNs?
Yes. NCSBN's travel nurse FAQ says an RN or LPN/VN whose primary state of residence is a compact state can hold one multistate license. The same residence rules apply as for RNs, so confirm where the nurse legally lives before relying on it.
Can an LPN be the charge nurse in a nursing home?
Often, yes. The federal rule for Medicare and Medicaid nursing facilities, 42 CFR 483.35, requires a licensed nurse as charge nurse on each tour of duty, and an RN for at least 8 consecutive hours a day. Many facilities run evenings and nights with LPN charge nurses. State rules and facility policy can be stricter.
Can an LPN start IVs?
It depends on the state and the employer. California requires LVNs to be certified by the board before performing IV therapy or blood withdrawal. The Texas Board of Nursing says an LVN should not engage in IV therapy until completing a validation course, and leaves IV push and drip titration to facility policy. Ask the client, then ask the candidate for proof.