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10 Tough Nursing Interview Questions
Adam Smith
Certified Professional Career Coach
August 11, 2022, 12:19 pm

10 Tough Nursing Interview Questions

Nursing interviews, like all other interviews, can be tough and challenging. Your interviewer’s goal is to get to know you and to test you in different situations and questions are the best tool he or she has. Thus, it is not the board exam, but dozens of interviews that make you become a nurse and finally land the right job. Your resume tells a lot about you, but it is only a brief statement of your achievements. During the interview, you are expected to answer fast and stick to the question. This is where things get tricky. Some questions are masqueraded as general ones, but they have certain goals to fulfill. You will never know what to answer unless you prepare for your interview more thoroughly.

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Here is the list of the questions that can make you nervous and the best answers to them.

Tell me more about yourself

Do not go into details about where you were born and how you studied. This question is about your personality, attitude, and general approach to the nursing profession. Therefore, speak about your soft skills and personality traits that make you a good fit for this position. Mention several situations where you managed to prove that you have these traits.

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Why did you choose to become nurse?

This is a flashback to your university admission where you were required to write your personal statement. Try to remember what made you drawn to the field and stimulated your decision. Prove your commitment and devotion to nursing as well as mention the moment when you knew that nursing is your path exactly. Do not give vague answers.

Why did you choose our facility?

This question is to test whether you did your research about this particular institution or you were sending your resume to a dozen hospitals. Before going to interview, spare some time to read what makes this institution special and what it is famous for. When answering, relate your knowledge about the facility to why you chose it in the first place.

What makes you a good fit for this position?

In fact, the question should sound how you can contribute to your facility. You should focus on your strengths and prove that they are assets for any facility, but you have specifically chosen this one. Relate your knowledge about their institution to your special skills and competencies and show how you can benefit the facility.

Can you manage stress and work under pressure?

This question serves to check how well you can perform your duties under pressure. Speaking about your previous experience or academic background is the best way to prove your competence as a multitasker who can work well under any pressure, including stress.

What are your career aspirations?

Any facility is interested in long-term employment. There is no benefit for them in searching for candidates to fill the same position several times in a year. Therefore, this question serves to understand whether you intend to work with this facility and grow professionally or if this is just an option for you and if you have other views on your career.

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What are your weaknesses?

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“Why weaknesses? I am supposed to talk about my strengths.” This is probably what you’ve thought. However, your prospective employer wants to know what you do not know or have no experience of and how you would deal with situations like that. Mention your weaknesses but in a positive way. Say something that would make others think that you know how to work on your imperfections.

How well do you get on with people?

Nursing is good teamwork. Therefore, you are required to have communication and interpersonal skills to work well together with your team as well as ensure high quality of patient care. Focus on your previous experiences to show your teamwork and people skills.

What are the expectations of your salary?

There is no hidden message in this question. Your potential employer simply wants to know whether your expectations meet their range. Try to avoid certain numbers. The general rule is that the one who gives the exact figure loses the negotiation process. If they persist, you can give a broad range that is within the industry. Highlight that your experience in this position is more important than the pay.

Do you have any questions?

This question feels like the end of the interview, so many people say no. However, it serves to see whether a potential employee is initiative and enthusiastic or not. Ask at least one question about this facility or position. It can refer to anything, from orientation to educational opportunities. Just do not say no to this question. Therefore, your preparation for the interview matters. Do not take the interview for granted. You may not get this position if you fail to make your employer interested in you. Thus, consider the interview a negotiation or a game, where you should outsmart the interviewer.

General Advice for A Nurse's Interview

To prepare for a nursing interview, you'll want to do some research on the company and be prepared for some tough questions.

The first thing that you should do is look at the job description of the position that you're applying to, and then figure out what skills are required for the job. The last thing that you want to do is show up to an interview with nothing in your head!

Here are some general tips for preparing for a nursing interview:

  • Research the company, its mission, and its values. This will help you talk about why you want to work there and how those things align with what they're looking for in their employees. You can also use this information as fodder for questions during the interview.

  • Look at the job description carefully and notice any skills or abilities that the position requires. Make sure you have those skills or abilities in your repertoire.

  • Know why this job is important to you and how it relates to your goals and values in life.

Conclusion

Getting through a nursing interview can be stressful, but answering these tough questions is possible. You just need to think outside the box and approach each question with confidence.

It's good to be prepared for the unexpected. If you know all of the typical questions that might be asked during a Nursing job interview, you can formulate appropriate and successful responses before the big day comes. Knowing how to answer the questions that you may encounter will make your interview much less stressful, putting you in a calm and confident state of mind.

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FAQs

What questions to ask at a nurse interview?

  • What type of training programs do you have?
  • What are your expectations in terms of weekend shifts?
  • What do the other nurses enjoy best about working at this facility?
  • What is your company's stance on working above the standard 40-hour week?
  • What is the average length of the shifts?
  • How do you judge the success of a nurse's work?

How to answer interview questions for nursing?

The first thing that you need to do is prepare yourself for the interview. You can do this by reading up on the job description, applying for the position, and preparing your resume. The more prepared you are, the better it will be for you when it comes to answering interview questions.

Answer questions with care and thoughtfulness. The goal of any job interview is to get hired, so you want to ensure that you're giving a positive impression of yourself and your skills during the interview process.

How do you prioritize nursing interview questions?

The best way to answer this question is to think about the most important information that you need to know about the job, and then rank those questions in order of importance. For example, if your goal is to get a job as an RN with experience in pediatrics, then you might prioritize questions related to working with children.

What questions should I ask during my nursing interview to be accepted into the program?

Asking questions during an interview is important for several reasons: 1) it shows that you're interested in the position and 2) it gives them insight into how you handle pressure situations or make decisions based on limited information.

Don't allow yourself to be pre-judged by the first few questions of your nursing interview. Most likely, the interviewer is just trying to get a sense of who you are as a person and not get into deep details about your life experience. Take some time during the interview to ask questions about the position and their expectations for success in it. If you're nervous or unsure about something, ask that question and move on from there.

What are the most common nursing interview questions?

In the nursing interview, there is no set order for questions. You can ask as many questions as you would like and let the interviewer guide the conversation.

However, it's best to have a general idea of the types of questions they might ask during an interview. Some examples are:

  • Why do you want to become a nurse?
  • What qualities do you possess that make you suitable for this profession?
  • What are your goals in life?
  • How would you describe yourself in five words or less?
  • Why do you want to join our program?
  • What specific skills have you developed or learned over time that will help you succeed in this new position?

What is the most difficult part of being a nurse interview?

The most difficult part of being a nurse interview is the knowledge and experience you have. The questions are not easy to answer, but you need to know what to say.

You will be asked questions about your training, work experience, and personal history. You need to be able to describe each of these items in detail and give examples of how you have applied them in your current job or during your career.

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