Top 10 Nursing Interview Questions to Help You Prepare

Introduction

Getting a nursing job involves more than your skills and qualifications; it’s also about how well you present yourself in the nursing interview.

Whether you are an experienced nurse seeking career advancement or a recent nursing graduate looking for a new job role, interview preparation is significant. 

Even small preparations for a nursing interview can make a considerable difference in boosting your confidence and enhancing your performance.

During the interview, you can expect nursing interview questions relating to patient care, clinical skills, your experience, and how you handle stressful situations, among others. The main goal of the interviewer is to assess your integrity, accountability, resilience, and adaptability.

A thoughtful preparation for the nursing interview process is the key to showcasing why you are the best fit for the job. In this context, we will explore the top 10 interview questions for nurses and how to tackle them effectively.

• Introduce Yourself

Why is this question asked?

This question is mainly posed to understand your background, career goals, and personality.

Answering tips

• Keep your answer professional. Focus on the aspects that are mentioned in the job description.
• For instance, if the job role requires minute attention to detail and close patient monitoring, emphasize those qualities and how it’s a boon for the organization.
• Highlight your academic qualifications and nursing experience.
  
  

• Why did you choose a Nursing Career?
  
  

Why is this question asked?

This question is posed to assess your commitment, dedication, and motivation to the nursing profession.

Answering tips-

• Interviewers want to understand your passion for the nursing profession. So, be open and honest in your response.
• Focus on the aspects that drew you to this profession, such as growth opportunities and the capability to build cordial relationships with patients. It is an essential part of explaining your career interest in nursing.
• If you have a personal story that motivated you to become a nurse, consider sharing that as well.
  
  

• How do you handle stressful situations at the hospital?

Why is this question asked?

This nursing interview question aims to assess your ability to cope up and stay resilient even when working under pressure.

Answering tips-

This is one of the most commonly asked nursing interview questions. The nursing domain is inherently stressful and often chaotic, yet nurses need to continue delivering efficient patient care while staying strong among all the medical team members. Here, interviewers want to analyse how confident you are in performing your nursing duties, even in high-pressure situations.

To best respond to these interview questions for nurses, consider sharing an example from your previous experience. Explain your coping strategies during that stressful situation.

• What are your strengths being a nurse?

Why is this question asked?

This interview question for nurses allows employers to evaluate what makes you consider them as a valuable asset to their hospital.

Answering tips-

When answering this nursing interview question, highlight the strengths that you are exceptionally proud of, from your previous working tenure and that align with the job description of the employer.

Some of the common examples to answer this question, include:

• Cultural competency – This allows you to connect with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Team coordination- Your capability to work well and motivate fellow employees.
• Motivational and educational skills- Your ability to educate patients and colleagues.
  
  

• Have you ever faced difficulty in handling a difficult patient?

Why is this question asked?

This nursing interview question focuses on evaluating how you would manage challenging situations in a hospital.

Answering tips-

In a medical environment, nurses encounter all sorts of patients, including those who may be difficult to handle. However, handling such patients respectfully and empathetically is often a significant struggle. So, when answering this interview nursing question, it’s important to be honest and without getting overly critical.

Explain how you respond to difficult patients by thoroughly understanding their problem and demonstrating compassion for those who are struggling. Additionally, you can also discuss how their behaviour can make your day-to-day nursing tasks more challenging.

• Describe a situation wherein you had to deal with a difficult co-worker and how you resolved the issue with them?

Why is this question asked?

This interview question for nurses is intended to assess how well you can build and maintain positive relationships with your co-workers, regardless of the circumstances.

Answering tips-

• Avoid using harsh language when discussing anyone during the nursing interview process. This nursing interview tips and answers provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your conflict resolution skills and the ability to maintain a good relationship with co-workers.
• Explain by taking a specific example from your previous workplace, wherein you came across a challenging situation of handling a difficult co-worker. Make sure to explain why that colleague was difficult to handle, how you addressed the issue, and what the outcome was.

Ultimately, explain what you learnt from the situation and how it will be useful in the future.

• What is compassion and care, according to you?

Why is this question asked?

This question is primarily posed to analyze your core personality.

Answering tips-

Above all, the nursing field requires care and compassion. Be sure to describe our empathetic behavior and explain how being kind in this profession makes everyone involved feel comfortable.

If the situation demands a more detailed response to this nursing interview question, consider sharing a problem from your previous experience where you demonstrated care and compassion for patients and how your actions positively satisfied the people.

• What steps would you take if you witnessed a co-worker mistreating a patient?

Why is this question asked?

This interview question assesses nursing ethics and willingness to speak up in difficult situations.

Answering tips-

Emphasize the importance of the safety of the patients and what actions you took adhering to hospital’s protocols.

• What was the most rewarding experience so far in your nursing career?

Why is this question asked?

This question helps the employer to understand what truly drives your dedication and commitment to this profession.

Answering tips

Describe by explaining a patient’s recovery experience meticulously and its outcomes. Your response should showcase your deep passion for the nursing profession and how it shapes your career goals.

• Where would you see yourself in the next five years?

Why is this question asked?

The interviewer wants to assess career goals and how it aligns with the hospital’s mission and values.

Answering tips-

The answer should reflect your experience level in the nursing field. Employers also want to know if you are planning to advance your career by obtaining additional nursing credentials.

It’s completely acceptable, even if you are unsure of what the next five years will bring to your nursing career. Express your desire to make a positive difference for patients and your passion to explore various specialties or pursue a leadership role.

Conclusion

Nursing interviews can be demanding and exhausting, but when you arrive with the right preparations, you can confidently ace the job interview. In addition to preparing for common interview questions for nurses, having a strong academic background, the right set of clinical skills, soft skills, and professional network also pave the way to establish a successful career in nursing.

By practicing these top 10 nursing interview questions and answers, you will greatly increase your chances of successfully clearing the interview.