PSW interview questions (personal support worker), with model answers.

PSW interviews test how you treat people and how you keep them safe. Here are two common scenario questions, with model answers.

Free question 1 (client care): A client refuses their bath

You arrive to help a client with their morning bath, as set out in their care plan. They tell you firmly that they don’t want a bath today. What do you do?

Model answer

1. Stay calm and respect the refusal. “The client has the right to refuse care. I wouldn’t argue, pressure them or go ahead anyway.”

2. Find out why. Ask gently and listen. The reason is often something you can fix: they’re cold, tired, in pain, embarrassed, or scared of slipping.

3. Offer choices, so they keep control. For example, a later time, a sponge bath instead, a warmer room, more privacy, or someone else helping if they’d prefer.

4. Notice anything new. If refusing is unusual for this client, or they seem confused, in pain or unwell, that could be a sign of a change in their condition.

5. Report and document. Tell the nurse or supervisor that the client refused, why, and what you offered. Write it down the way your employer requires, using facts, not opinions. For example: “Client declined bath at 9:15. Said the bathroom was too cold. Offered sponge bath, which client accepted.”

What interviewers listen for: you respect the client’s choice and dignity, you look for the reason instead of just giving up, and you report and document.

Free question 2 (safety): A client suddenly seems different

You’ve cared for an older client at home for a few months. Today she’s much more confused than usual, doesn’t know where she is, and hasn’t eaten her breakfast. What do you do?

Model answer

1. Don’t assume it’s “just her age”. A sudden change in confusion is different from slow memory loss. It can be a sign of illness, like an infection, dehydration, a medication problem or a stroke, and it needs to be reported.

2. Check for an emergency. Use FAST for signs of a stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech trouble, Time to call 911. Call 911 right away for those signs, trouble breathing, chest pain, or if she can’t be woken properly. Then follow your employer’s emergency steps.

3. Keep her safe. Stay with her, keep her calm, and make sure she can’t fall or wander.

4. Report it right away. Call your supervisor or the nurse in charge of her care, as set out by your employer. Describe what you see, not what you think is wrong: when you noticed it, what she said, what’s different from normal, and what she has or hasn’t eaten or drunk.

5. Document and follow instructions. Write down what you saw, when, and who you told. Follow the instructions you’re given, and tell family if that’s part of the plan.

What interviewers listen for: you treat a sudden change as serious, you know when to call 911, you report quickly, and you stay within the PSW role by describing what you see rather than diagnosing.