Are you ready to start job hunting as a new or experienced nurse? These are 10 common nursing interview questions and answers you need to know!
Job interviews are not anyone’s favorite pastime.
Learning about a new hospital, rehearsing interview questions, and finding the best outfit can all be nerve-wracking.
Even if it is your first nursing job or your third, it is still natural to be nervous before you walk into the interview.
Most nursing interview questions will be scenario based – meaning the hiring manager will ask you to tell them a story of a time you were able to resolve a particular situation. This shows them how well you handle pressure and how you use your critical thinking skills to come to a solution.
In the past 6 years of being a nurse, I have gone to a few job interviews and I have compiled the most common nursing interview questions that hiring managers love to ask, some of which I will be sharing with you as well as ways to answer them.
Remember, the answers will be based on your own personal experience. When preparing, try to write down your answers exactly how you normally speak – of course, use professional language but always be honest, and be yourself.
This post is all about common nursing interview questions and answers.
Common Nursing Interview Questions and Answers:
1. Tell me about yourself
This is by far the most common question you will hear in your nursing interview. Hiring managers want to know who you are as a professional and based on your answer, they are gauging how you will be a good fit for their company. Do not answer with any personal information, keep it all about your professional career and the steps you took to becoming a nurse.
New Grad Nurse:
“I just recently graduated from nursing school and passed my NCLEX. During nursing school, I volunteered in the hospital as a baby cuddler which solidified my love for the NICU. I have tremendous respect for the NICU nurses and providers and would love to use the knowledge I’ve gained in nursing school as well as a volunteer to become a NICU nurse myself.”
Experienced Nurse:
“I am a Registered Nurse II and currently work in Med Surg, I have been there for the past 2 years now, I actually started in the unit as a new grad and recently I have been fortunate enough to start precepting new grads myself. Prior to becoming a Registered Nurse, I worked as a CNA in a nursing home for 3 years. With the experience I have gained as a CNA and a new grad nurse in Med Surg, I believe it is time I expand my knowledge and continue learning in the ICU.”
2. Tell me about a time you faced conflict in a team/had a disagreement with a coworker
Nursing is all about teamwork, and when you are surrounded by multiple people with different personalities, disagreements are bound to happen. The interviewer is trying to understand how well you handle conflict and how you go about resolving a situation.
“At the beginning of my nurse residency, we had to do an evidence-based practice project and it was a few of us that were in a group together. We were able to work on it at first because we had scheduled meetings by the nurse educator but then the pandemic hit and everything went online. It was hard to get a hold of everyone because we were all on different floors and we also worked different shifts, so no one was really on the same page and we couldn’t agree on what we wanted to do. I ended up deciding to set up a zoom meeting when everyone was available to be able to talk about our ideas and set up the next meeting towards the end of that one so there wouldn’t be any miscommunication. Eventually, we were all able to do our part and do the project on time.”
[Related Post: How To Write The Perfect New Grad Nursing Resume]
3. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a patient
You probably got into nursing because you love to help people and care about them, but soon you realized that with the number of tasks needed to be completed on your shift, the patient-to-nurse ratio, and all the charting needed to be done, it can be hard trying to spend more than the necessary amount of time in a patient’s room. Either way, hiring managers want to know that you don’t only go through the motions of work, but also that you are showing compassion to your patients.
“On my unit, we see a lot of patients who come with brain masses and we also take care of them after a tumor resection. After surgery, one side of the patient’s hair is shaved off and the patient is either completely aphasic and are total care or they are able to speak but still are weak on one side. On one instance, I went in to introduce myself to my patient and I realized she was looking at her hair with a handheld mirror and trying to do the best she could to fix it. I asked her if I could help and she mentioned her daughter had brought her some hair products but she hadn’t been able to use them. So, I took my time to grab the products, put it on her hair, comb her hair and then I did a braid so it wouldn’t keep getting tangled up. She was very appreciative and kept smiling looking at herself in the mirror.”
4. How do you handle a difficult patient or family member?
Learning how to deal with difficult people is, unfortunately, a part of nursing. The idea here is to make sure you do not offend any patient and express that you did the best you could to de-escalate the situation while maintaining the patient’s safety.
“I’ve had a few occasions where I’ve had to deal with difficult patients or family members, or both. I like to put myself in their shoes and I think about the fact that no one likes to be at the hospital and everyone is just ready to go home. I try to show them that I am actively listening, I remain calm and patient, I make sure they are safe first and foremost, and if I have a solution to their concerns then I’ll do it. If not, I would escalate to my charge nurse.”
5. How will you provide family-centered care?
As a nurse, we are not only taking care of the patient but of the whole family as well. This question will mostly come up if you are interviewing for a pediatric position such as the PICU or NICU.
“I believe family-centered care means not only the patient but the entire family is aware and up to date with the next steps in the patient’s care. As a nurse I have been providing family-centered care by truly listening to my patient’s and their family’s concern, I take into consideration their language and cultural barriers, I educate them on their care, I explain to them their medications and what they are for. I’m also a mediator for them and their physicians, and I’m always asking them what other concerns they may have.”
6. Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how did you learn from it
We are all human; we all are bound to make mistakes. It’s imperative to let the interviewer know that you caught yourself, you were honest, and you learned from it. Don’t mention something huge where the patient was in danger, but instead tell a situation where a minor mistake happened but you were able to catch it before it reached the patient.
“At the beginning of my nurse residency, I had a patient that had scheduled insulin so I went into the room to give him his medication. I needed another nurse to witness, so I asked my preceptor at the time to witness with me. When we were rechecking the dose and the blood sugar, we realized the last blood sugar was actually taken at 5 pm rather than 8 pm so it was not an accurate number. I had missed this at my first glance but then once we rechecked it, I realized that it wasn’t the correct time so we went on to check his blood sugar and administered the insulin. Ever since this situation, I’ve made sure that I triple-check my patient’s blood sugars on the computer before even going in the room and if it hasn’t been taken then I would do it myself before getting any insulin.”
7. How do you handle stress?
We all have different ways to distress, especially after a rough shift. Nursing is a tough career, and we all need an outlet in order to stay sane. Let the interviewer know how you are able to stay relaxed at home so you can be the best version of yourself whenever you are at work.
“I actually like to go to yoga classes on my days off, I feel like it helps my body and mind feel better. I also like to go on walks and read different books when I have the chance, and when I have a longer period of time off I like to travel to different cities.”
8. Tell me about a time you dealt with a family member or patient that was displeased with your care, how did you handle it?
As nurses, we will have many days where, although we are doing our best, either the patient or family member will be displeased. A hospital is a vulnerable place for everyone involved, and emotions are heightened, but our job is to keep our composure and be there for our patients and their loved ones as much as we can. Make sure to answer with a scenario where you were respectful and put the patient’s needs first.
“On night shift we usually do lab work around 4 am, so I went into my patient’s room to ask him if I could do his labs. He began to get very angry stating that I was always waking him up, that he hadn’t had a good sleep in a few days and he wanted a new nurse because I didn’t let him rest. I tried to calmly explain to him that his potassium was trending down so the doctors really wanted to do blood work so we could monitor it and give him medication if needed. My patient really wasn’t pleased so he asked to talk to the charge nurse either way. I tried to not take it personally and understand that he was just tired and no one really likes to be woken up, especially if they’ve been in the hospital for a few days. My charge nurse ended up speaking to him and he agreed on letting me do his lab work. I still went into the room a few times to see if he was okay but I tried not to wake him up unless it was extremely necessary.”
9. Why do you want to work here/why do you want to transfer now?
Do your research about the hospital you are interviewing for. Look into certain areas they specialize in, and make sure to mention if one specifically stands out to you. Show how passionate you are about working there, and what an honor it would be.
Why do you want to work here:
“Before moving, I actually did some research about the hospitals here, more specifically children’s hospitals, and of course, South Children’s Hospital came up. Once I moved, I kept hearing great things about the hospital and I actually have 2 coworkers that recently got hired for the same position but at a different facility and they have nothing but great things to say. They mentioned how everyone is extremely welcoming and helpful, and how much they have already learned in the past month. So, to me, it would be an honor to be able to work in such a highly praised hospital and to be able to learn from the best nurses and staff.”
Why do you want to transfer now:
“Working with adults as a RN for the past 2 years and 3 years as a LVN, I believe it is time to transfer to a specialty that I have always been passionate about. I started off with adults because for the most part that’s what I was comfortable with and what my background was in, but now that I have been able to feel more comfortable as a RN and in my unit, I believe I am ready to take the next step forward and continue to learn as a pediatric nurse.”
10. 5-year goal
If you are interviewing for a full-time staff position, most hiring managers want to know if you see yourself growing with the company. They want to hire someone who is open to learning and who will be with them for years to come.
“I definitely want to continue my education; I want to gain more certifications in my specialty and eventually I would like to go back to school. I don’t have a timeline yet but I would probably go back for my MSN or NP and stay at the hospital for critical care.”
Remember, you are a great nurse and you are worthy of any job!
Good luck !!
This post was all about common nursing interview questions and answers.
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