Patient Care Technician Interview Questions & Answers


Patient Care Technician is a healthcare professional specialized in performing basic care for patients, such as assisting them in using the restroom, serving meals or changing bedding.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Patient Care Technician or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Patient Care Technician position, these Patient Care Technician interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Patient Care Technician Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Patient Care Technician interview questions.

  1. What types of direct patient care activities have you performed in your current job?
  2. What is the most challenging part of direct patient care, and how do you handle that challenge?
  3. What are the vital signs?
  4. How often should you monitor vital signs? How would you know if there’s something wrong?
  5. What tools and equipment should a PCT know how to use?
  6. What do you think is the most important skill for a patient care technician to have?
  7. Do you have experience working with patients who have severe mental illnesses?
  8. How do you deal with patients who refuse to listen to you when you are trying to care for them?
  9. Tell me about a time you discovered a safety hazard in your job. What did you do?
  10. What types of tools and equipment have you used as a patient care technician?
  11. We want to ensure our patients feel comfortable communicating their needs. How would you approach a patient who was reluctant to speak up?
  12. Patient care technicians may have to provide social and emotional support for patients who are dealing with stressful medical issues or isolation.
  13. If a PCT of the next shift called in sick when you’re about to leave, what would you do?
  14. How would you comfort a patient who seemed upset or despondent?
  15. Share with me a time that you educated a patient in a health matter.
  16. Tell me about your most challenging experience in patient care.
  17. How do you perform routine patient care tasks quickly so that you can finish your rounds efficiently?
  18. Have you used any software as part of your job?
  19. How do you manage your emotions and your own mental health when a long-term patient gets sick or dies?
  20. If a patient was hostile toward you, how would you handle the situation?
  21. How do you prevent bed-ridden patients from developing bed sores and other complications related to not being able to move around?
  22. What would you do if a patient’s family disagreed with their care plan and interfered with your responsibilities?
  23. Are you familiar with the cognitive and physical disabilities that commonly occur in patients in long-term care?
  24. Share with me the level of experience you have in performing basic nursing procedures.
  25. Provide an example of a time when you went above and beyond to care for a patient.
  26. How do you ensure that you notice irregularities or minor changes in a patient's condition?
  27. How do you distinguish between the positions of medical assistant and patient care technician? Do you think they're the same?
  28. What strategies do you use to keep track of each patient’s unique dietary, medical and other care needs?
  29. Describe your process for calming a nervous or anxious patient.
  30. What is your process for documenting patient care activities?
  31. Ongoing training is an important part of being a patient care technician. Do you have current CPR and first aid certifications?
  32. What would you do if you noticed a fellow patient care technician was not following proper safety procedures?
  33. Patient care technicians may have to deal with bodily fluids as part of keeping patients clean and comfortable. Are you comfortable helping patients use the restroom and upkeep hygiene?

Patient Care Technician Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Patient Care Technician interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
  2. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  3. Tell Me About Yourself
  4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  6. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  7. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  8. Why Should We Hire You?
  9. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  10. Why Do You Want This Job?