One of the most exciting moments in a nurse’s career is when they get called in for a nursing interview. After all the hard work getting there, it feels like second graduation. But how do you prepare for the nursing job interview questions you’re most likely to be asked?
Firstly, nurses should be ready to answer both personal and situational interview questions. Doing a bit of research around the most common questions asked in an interview is a huge help. But as we all know, nursing is a very specific career. So, come prepared to answer questions specific to your education as a nurse and the day-to-day job.
Here are some of the nursing job interview questions you’ll want to prepare for.
How do you take care of yourself after a long day?
It’s no surprise that nursing is a tough career. It’s both emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. Taking care of yourself in your off hours is of utmost importance.
Prepare to describe how you handle the challenging emotions you face regularly. Don’t forget that you want to keep your answers concise and short but still impactful. For questions like this, it’s great to practice saying them aloud.
What made you want to be a nurse?
Hiring managers are checking for specific skills, as well as your emotional capacity. This is one of those questions that allows them to see who you are, beyond just your skills.
If there was a specific moment in your life that inspired you to become a nurse or something about the job you love, this is the moment to share it. They want to see that you’re in love with the industry, especially since it’s such a hard one to be with.
Think about what you love most about your career or why you like taking care of patients. Don’t be afraid to be honest and even a little sappy when it comes to this answer.
Describe how you work in a crisis.
Nursing is partially about crisis management. Keeping a level head and moving through issues methodically is a critical skill for a nurse. You want to combine your compassion and your dedication to quality care in this answer.
A crisis is where all your skills come together. You’re practicing virtually everything you’ve been taught, and you want to show that you can do it. Be honest, think it through carefully, and of course, practice saying it out loud or to a friend.
How would you deal with an outbreak of disease?
In an era of pandemics, nursing remains one of the most important jobs when dealing with such illness outbreaks. You’ll likely be asked if you have any experience doing this and your training as far as proceeding with caution.
This is one of those questions you should spend extra time with. Pull some examples from past jobs or your training and schooling to showcase that you know what you’re doing. Write it down and say it out loud a few times to really drive in those key points.
Nursing isn’t an easy job. So, of course, the interviews are equally competitive and hard. Just be prepared to answer the tough questions with confidence and clarity, and you’ll be a top candidate in no time.
