Nurse Interview Questions and Sample Answers

What made you choose nursing as a career?

I wanted to do something in my career that is challenging, interesting, and makes
a difference in people's lives on a daily basis.
My mother is a nurse, and seeing the satisfaction she feels every day by helping
people in her job inspired my own interest in the field.
I believe that nursing is one of the most interesting and growing careers available
today, and I enjoy the difference I can make in my patient's hospital experience.

How has your training prepared you for a nursing career?
I had an internship position at an Oncology Center after graduating last May,
which gave me hands on experience with patients, and I am anxious to pursue my
career specializing in cancer treatment.
My clinical training in the ER of City Hospital prepared me for the fast paced care
required of an ER Nurse.
I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for Dr. Zane, who was
writing about new findings in the treatment of heart disease when I was working
at City Hospital. The knowledge I gained during that time prepared me for
assisting with cardiac patients in a more effective way.

What interests you about working here?
Your facility has one of the top rated Cardiac units in the country, and I am
interested in utilizing my experience with Cardiac patients in a hospital engaging in
the latest research and techniques.
I really enjoy working in Geriatrics, and your facility has a vibrant and innovative
reputation for its programs and population.
I have worked in very large hospitals, where I gained valuable experience, but I
enjoy working in a small hospital, where you can get to know your patients, the
doctors, and your colleagues on a more personal level.

Do you have any professional affiliations?
Absolutely, I feel it's important to stay informed about the nursing profession. I'm
a member of the American Nurses Association, and the New York State Nurses
Association.

What do you do to keep current with medical findings and practices?

How do you handle stress on the job?
By focusing on the most important thing, the care of the patient. I feel I owe it to
my patients to stay calm and focused on them.
In the ER setting, there are often stressful situations that arise. I just make sure
that the stresses of the job don't interfere with the care of the patient.
I am generally an easy going person, and I don't allow on the job stress to
interfere with my work.

How would you deal with a doctor who was rude?
I would bring the question to my supervisor. If the doctor was displeased with me
in some way, I would want to find out so I could take action to rectify the
situation.
I would ask the doctor if there was something in my care of the patient that she
felt needed discussion.
If it were a one time occurrence, I would figure that she was just having a bad
day. If it happened repeatedly, I would notify my supervisor.

How would you handle a patient who constantly complains about pain?
I would confer with the attending doctor to make sure that the patient's pain was
being managed in the most effective way.
I would reassure the patient that everything possible was being done to alleviate
their discomfort.
I would listen sympathetically to their complaint, reassure them that their
concerns were being heard, and that we were doing everything possible to help
them.

How would you handle a patient who complains about everything?
I would first be sure that the patient had no valid complaints, and then just be
patient and reassure them that we were doing our very best for them.
I understand that some patients will complain about everything, just because they
are unhappy about what brought them to our care. I just reassure them that
everything possible is being done to make them comfortable.

How would you handle a family who is displeased with your patient's care?
I would listen to their concerns, and reassure them that I was doing my very best
for their loved one.
Sometimes family members are looking for someone or something to blame for
what their loved one is going through. I would try to reassure them that the
patient was getting the best quality of care available.
I would listen to their concerns, and make sure that if any were well founded they
were addressed immediately.

What do you feel you contribute to your patients?
I offer my patients the very best care and advocacy I can.
I believe that I offer my patients comfort and confidence that they are being well
cared for.
I feel that my patients know that I am there to provide comfort and
understanding, that I will listen to their concerns, and that I will act as their
advocate if necessary.

What do you find difficult about being a nurse?
Sometimes I find it difficult to leave work at work, as I tend to become very
involved with my patients.
I think the most difficult part of being a nurse is when I have a patient that is very
unhappy, or in a lot of pain, and I can't comfort them to the degree I'd like.
I prefer to look at difficulties as challenges, and I enjoy conquering challenges.

What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse?
The most rewarding thing for me as a nurse is seeing the joy when a family first
holds their baby.
Interacting with the patients and their families is what I find most rewarding.
I find helping patients through recovery after surgery, which is often one of their
greatest challenges, to be most rewarding.

What would you do if your replacement didn't arrive?
I would wait until she arrived, or until someone else was called in.
I would notify the supervisor, and offer to stay until my replacement arrived.
Try calling her to see if she were on the way, or if she needed help making
arrangements for someone to take her shift.

Would you become a doctor if you had the opportunity?
No, I enjoy the personal contact with my patients, and the comradeship with my
colleagues unique to nursing.
I chose to become a nurse because I find the field fascinating. I plan on advancing
my career as a nurse, not a doctor.
Yes, I enjoy the medical field tremendously, and plan to continue my education
throughout my career.

Would you describe yourself as organized?
Absolutely. I like to have a check list, and make sure that each item gets the
attention it needs.
Yes, sometimes a little too much so. I make sure that everything is neat and in
order.
I am a very organized and thorough person, which I think contributes to my
success as a nurse.

Are you a self motivator?
Absolutely. I can always find something productive that needs doing.
I'm very motivated to do a good job at what I take on, and I like to stay busy.
I am a self motivator, and I take great pride in my job as a nurse.

Do you prefer to work alone, or as part of a team?
That depends on the circumstances. I enjoy being part of a treatment and support
team, but I also like the autonomy of working alone.
I believe that nursing in a hospital is a team effort, and I really enjoy making my
contribution to the team.
You need a certain amount of independence to work without the daily support of a
team. As an in home nurse, I enjoy the one-on-one with my patients.

Tell me about yourself:

Although the interviewer is not wanting to listen to your life story, he/she does
want you to describe your personality, educational attainment, career goals, and
professional experiences.

Tell me what you know about our company:

You should conduct some research and be at least somewhat knowledgeable
about the entity that might very well become your future workplace. You will look
good to the interviewer if it appears that you have been doing your 'homework'
on the company.

So, tell us what you know about _____ nursing:

Insert any nursing specialty into the blank space provided. You will stand out to
the interviewer as a candidate who truly has passion about the specialty if you
know more about it than the average person. If your dream is to work as a nurse
in a well-baby nursery, you'd better be knowledgeable about the area in which
you envision yourself working.

Tell us what your current/former boss would say about you:

The interviewer is basically looking for clues that will shed light on your work
ethic and interpersonal skills. Direct quotes work well. "Jill always said I was
dependable" is a direct quote that says a lot.

Tell me why you want to work here:

Your reasons for wanting to work at this place of employment should be positive.
Also, make a connection between your career goals and how they can be
achieved at this company.

Describe to us how you perform under pressure:

The settings in which nurses work can quickly turn into pressure-cooker
environments. To be blunt, the interviewer does not want to hire anyone who is
so emotionally fragile that they'll shatter like plate glass when faced with the day-
to-day pressures of the job.

Discuss your biggest strengths and weaknesses:

The interviewer wants to hear about strengths that would be assets in the
workplace. Since we all have weaknesses, the person conducting the interview
will know you're a boldfaced liar if you deny having any.

Are you a team player?

Healthcare facilities prefer to hire people who work well with others, have good
social skills, get along well with patients and visitors, and can pull together as a
team for the sake of patient care.

Discuss your salary requirements:

This question is sneaky. Some companies have strict pay grids and other facilities
are unionized, so salary typically cannot be negotiated at these places. However,
smaller workplaces may offer some wiggle room for negotiating the salary. The
important thing is to not price oneself out of the market.

What motivates you to be a nurse:

Companies prefer to hire healthcare workers who are motivated by intangible
ideals, not concrete realities such as money. Even if cash is your ultimate
motivation, do not elaborate on your need for money.

Describe a difficult situation and how you handled it:

If you have healthcare experience, they want to know how you have dealt with
angry doctors, emotionally upset families, or difficult patients. If you lack
healthcare experience, you can discuss a difficult situation that occurred in school
or a previous workplace.

Tell us why we should hire you:

This is the last time to truly sell yourself to the interviewer. Emphasize your
positive attributes, reaffirm that you are a team player, and tell them why you
are the best candidate for the position that they need to fill.

Do you have any questions for us:

Ask the interviewer something, whether it pertains to nurse/patient ratios, length
of orientation, or educational opportunities. You might appear uninterested if you
have no questions.

Tell us about an idea or suggestion that you made. Was it
implemented?

Your answer will give the interviewer an abbreviated idea about your ability to
think outside the box. Personally, I have been asked this question at various
interviews. The last time I was asked this question, I told the interviewer about
my suggestion that day shift nurses update the care plans for patients in odd-
numbered rooms while night shift nurses update plans of care for the patients in
even-numbered rooms. This suggestion was to help ensure that all care plans be
updated consistently at my current place of employment.

What do you enjoy the most about nursing?

If you are interviewing for a bedside nursing position, the interviewer most likely
wants to hear about your passion for helping patients or your eagerness for
lifelong learning. I would not mention anything about entering the nursing
profession for the money, flexibility, or benefit package.

Describe your greatest weakness.

Your answer will give the interviewer an idea about your propensity for honest
introspection and self-reflection. Some candidates, in an attempt to conjure up
brownie points, will say "I work too hard!" However, astute interviewers are able
to catch on and might be turned off by people who use this catch-all response.

You will want to describe a weakness or personal fault that could be a potential
advantage in the workplace. For example, some candidates would say that they
are so detail-oriented that they sometimes miss the big picture. Although
occasionally missing the big picture is a personal fault, attention to detail is often
seen as a keen advantage in situations when patients' lives are at stake. In other
words, place a positive spin on your greatest weakness.

So, where do you see yourself in five years?

If possible, attempt to connect your long-term career goals with the company. If
you are interviewing for a job opening as a medication nurse at a psychiatric
facility, you may want to mention that you hope to attain professional certification
as a psychiatric nurse in five years. The candidate who is educated at the LPN,
diploma, or associates degree level might mention that they will be a BSN degree
holder in five years.

What are your feelings on working nights, weekends, or
occasional overtime?

In this situation, honesty is the best policy. If you accept a 12-hour night shift
position when you are truly a diurnal (daytime) person, your existence might be
miserable for months, years, or however long it takes to transfer to day shift. You
might also feel bad if you accept a weekend schedule that causes you to miss
your childrens Saturday morning sporting events.

Tell us about your leadership/management style.

Honesty is also the best policy when answering this question. It is perfectly
acceptable to admit that you feel more comfortable following the lead as you gain
more experience. If you are already a seasoned nurse, you can keep it general by
saying that your leadership style depends on the situation at hand.

If we hire you, how long would you plan to work here?

Facilities generally shy away from hiring candidates whom they perceive to be job
hoppers, so it would be best to indicate that you plan on establishing a long-
lasting relationship with the company.

Tell us about a previous mistake and the lessons you learned
from it.

Weve all made mistakes, so be honest. The mistake that you divulge may or may
not be related to nursing. For example: I used to delay charting until the very
end of each shift, but realized I wasnt making the most of my time. Ive learned
to chart during the shift to improve my time management.

Describe how you maintain competence (stay current) in the
nursing profession.

Nursing is not simply a job. It is also a journey filled with lifelong learning. You
can discuss the ACLS course you took earlier this year, or the critical care
conference you attended recently, or the mental health symposium you visited, or
whatever it is you do to maintain or augment your nursing knowledge base.

How did you like working at _________?

Fill in the blank with the name of your last workplace. Keep it positive without
sounding as if your response is programmed or canned. If you have no paid work
experience, offer to discuss how much you liked school, a volunteer job, a retreat
or camp, or any organized experience that involved working with others.


Why did you leave your last position?

If you are still employed the interviewer may ask, Why are you considering
leaving your current job? Again, remain positive and discuss how you want to
pursue other opportunities that lead to professional growth. If your employment
was involuntarily terminated or you were forced to resign, be truthful without
heavily dwelling on it. However, you must showcase your ability for honest
introspection. I was let go at the end of my 90 day orientation and now realize I
was not a good fit for the ER is a reply indicative of honest self-reflection.

Describe your former nurse manager or supervisor.

I urge you to maintain an upbeat tone, even if you disliked your former manager.
You do not want to give the impression that you are a nitpicky complainer. Keep
the response positive without engaging in excess flattery. Carole was a
professional who maintained a calm composure, even in stressful situations will
work. If you criticize your former manager, the interviewer might wonder if (or
when) youll personally attack him or her.

How would a job with our company help you meet your
personal goals?

A number of honest responses would be acceptable. I enjoy demented elderly
residents and a position with this company would allow me to come into frequent
contact with this patient population or Ive always wanted to work at a level one
trauma hospital and this facility fits the bill are acceptable answers. The
interviewer wants to see you are truly interested in the company and not simply
planning to hop to the next job.

To date, what has been your greatest achievement?

You can discuss an achievement that is either linked to nursing or totally
unrelated to nursing. Many nurses say that attaining their nursing degree has
been their greatest achievement. Others state that forming a family has been
their greatest achievement because it has given them a greater understanding of
the human experience.

More Nursing Related Questions:
What type of nursing experience do you have?
Where did you get your training and what certifications do you have?
How long has it been since you worked in (ER, OR, ICU, or particular specialty area)?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Why did you choose (ER, OR, ICU, LTC, FNP, or other specialty area of nursing)?
Why do you want to work in our hospital and/or community?
Tell me about a time in which you had to handle an irate physician, co-worker, or patient. How
did you handle it and what were the results?
Describe a difficult decision you've made and the process you went through to reach that
decision.
Why makes you right for this job?
What nursing organizations do you belong to?
Nursing Behavioral Questions:
You're sure the instructions you've received from management are a mistake, not in the
company's best interests. What do you do to warn management of the your concerns, and how
do you deal with your instructions, until you can get them modified?
ANSWER-You contact your immediate manager, and inform that person of your concerns, with
whatever information you have to best support your case. Otherwise, you're obliged to carry out
your instructions, and should do so.
Your supervisor has told you to drop everything, and concentrate on something you dont think
is important, or even necessary. Do you put up with it, or try to get your more important work
done, and deal with this matter afterwards?
ANSWER-This is an instruction, like it or not. It's best to deal with the matter immediately, get
it finished, and try to minimize disruption to the more important things. Even in theory, and
even if you're right, you're making a mistake by re-prioritizing management's instructions.
You're getting distracted by extra work and meetings, and it's generating a backlog of work for
you. How do you cope with it?
ANSWER-You may not be able to avoid these things, so it's safest to establish a separate chain
of processes for dealing with your normal work, where you can make time and space to ensure
that work is done. You can either delegate, or ask to have delegated, some of the work, but it
has to be kept moving. Backlogs are destructive, and should be prevented at all costs.
You get two difficult clients at the same time, both demanding your attention. What do you do?
ANSWER-You get briefings from both clients. You set times for dealing with their matters, then
you prioritize one or the other. You make sure that each client is attended to as quickly as
possible, and reschedule other work as required.
Your database crashes, and you have to work on some sort of improvised system for receipts,
while also collecting the data. What do you do?
ANSWER-You set up a paper receipt system and get your data into a paper form which can be
easily used for data entry when the system comes back online. You take copies of all paper
issued and received. You create a reference system for each document, preferably numerical,
associating each receipt with its related document.

Nursing Interview Questions
By Jennifer LeClaire, Monster Contributing Writer

If you're a trained nursing professional, you can afford to be a discriminating job seeker. But you still need to
prepare thoroughly for every job interview.
Part of the process of getting ready is knowing the interview questions to ask a potential employer. These
questions should demonstrate your interest in the opportunity while helping you gauge whether the position is
the right match for your skills, goals, personality and lifestyle.
Your inquiries should cover three main areas: orientation and training, the working environment, and the
employer's management and administration. Here's an interview cheat sheet:
Orientation and Training
What is the level and depth of orientation?
Will more orientation time be granted if I feel I need it?
Will my orientation take place during the shift I will be working?
Is there a mentorship program?
What are your expectations of new hires during their first six months on the job?
Describe typical first-year assignments.
What qualities do your most successful nurses possess?
Working Environment
What is the nurse-to-patient ratio?
How long are your shifts -- eight, 10 or 12 hours?
How do you go about scheduling? Is self-scheduling an option, or does someone else dictate the schedule?
How long have most nurses been on the unit?
Why did the last person in this position leave?
How long has this position been vacant?
Will I be on call if I accept this position? If so, what are the conditions/requirements of on-call duty?
Management and Administration
How would you describe your management style?
How do you motivate employees?
How do you demonstrate that you value your nursing staff?
How much autonomy do you give your nurses to make decisions regarding patient care?
How often do you conduct performance reviews?
Is the administration open to suggestions that would improve patient care?
What challenges is this facility facing?
What have been this unit's most notable successes and failures over the year?
What are nurses' biggest challenges at this facility?
What makes this facility unique among others in this region?
What steps do you take to ensure safe working conditions?
What are your plans for future growth?
Why should I want to work here?
An Offer in Hand
Once you have the job offer -- and not before -- ask the standard questions about salary and benefits, such as:
What is the salary?
Is special compensation awarded for overtime? What is the differential for second-shift, third-shift and
weekend work?
What is the benefits package?
Do you offer other incentives, such as paid journal subscriptions or scholarships for dependents?
Do you provide financial support for continuing education?
Are grants available for ongoing education?
Are there special incentives for bilingual nurses?
Is there room for advancement? What is the career path?
How do you reward employees for exceptional work?