Nursing interviews can be stressful, but they don’t have to be. It’s important to know what you’re getting into so you can prepare yourself with the right questions and make sure that your interview goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some common questions that may come up during nursing interviews:

Common Questions For Nursing Interviews

1. Tell me about your favorite clinical rotation.

In this question, the interviewer is looking for you to tell them about a clinical rotation that you really enjoyed and why. They want to know if it was something that you could see yourself doing every day for the next 40 years.

They also want to know what skills or strengths were required in order for you to have enjoyed this rotation so much.

You do not need to be specific about your location or time period of nursing school; instead, focus on how it changed your perspective on nursing as a career and what skills/traits were required of you at the time.

2. What do you find challenging about nursing?

One of the most common questions you’ll be asked is “what do you find challenging about nursing?” This question allows the interviewer to get a feel for your personality and how well-suited you are for this career. It also helps them determine if they should continue with their interview process or not.

The answer to this question should highlight how passionate and dedicated you are to helping others, without being too corny or clichéd. For example, saying something like “my biggest challenge is having empathy” isn’t a good answer because it sounds negative rather than positive. A better answer might be “I find it challenging when patients refuse treatment plans that I know will help them.”

3. What do you find enjoyable about nursing?

>”What do you find enjoyable about nursing?”

This is a question that is designed to give the hiring manager an idea of what motivates you. They want to know whether or not you’re going into this field because it’s a good career and something that will provide for your family, or whether or not it’s just for money. A lot of nurses don’t like their jobs because they aren’t able to be creative with the patients who come in. While some nurses may enjoy being able to treat all sorts of people from different backgrounds, others prefer working at one place for most of their careers so they can become experts on their specialty area.

4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

You should have a plan for where you can see yourself in five years. In the real world, we all know that things don’t always go as planned. If you are asked this question, make sure that your answer is flexible and doesn’t involve specific details like location and exact title. Rather than say “I will be working at XYZ Hospital and I will be doing X task” try saying something like:

• “I hope to be in a position where I am making an impact on healthcare delivery within the next 5 years.”
• “My goal is to continue learning and growing professionally while continuing to provide excellent care for patients.”

5. Why did you decide to become a nurse?

You should be prepared to have this question asked, but in case you aren’t, here’s a quick tip:

The best way to answer this question is to be honest about your motivations for becoming a nurse. If you’re looking for direct ways in which you can help people and make an impact, focus on that. You want your career as a nurse to be more than just a job – it should be personally fulfilling and rewarding. Talk about how much you love working with patients and how much they mean to you as individuals – the whole point of nursing is helping people get better!

6. What are your strengths as a nurse?

When you’re asked this question, it’s important to be prepared with three to five strengths that you feel confident listing. These can be your best attributes as a nurse, or just qualities about yourself that are important for the position. Some examples of strengths include:

• Being organized and able to prioritize tasks
• Having excellent communication skills
• Taking initiative when needed

Be sure to explain how these strengths apply on the job and in your personal life. For example, if you have strong communication skills, what situations would they help you handle? What are some examples of times when they’ve helped you in your career?

7. Do you have any weaknesses as a nurse?

• No one can be perfect.
• No one can do everything perfectly.
• You can’t be a perfect nurse, nor can you be a perfect person. You won’t be able to do everything perfectly, and that’s okay! Nobody expects you to be perfect all the time or in every situation. The best thing to do is try your best and learn from your mistakes when things don’t turn out as planned.

8. What has been your most rewarding patient interaction?

The best way to answer this question is by describing a situation where you were able to provide compassionate care for your patient. For example, you could say something like:

“My most rewarding experience was when I was able to comfort a patient who had just lost his wife in an accident. She had been admitted with multiple injuries and she passed away while I was caring for her.”

You can also include information about how the patient’s family responded to your care or what their response was after they have been discharged from the hospital. If possible, try not to focus too much on this aspect of the relationship between you and your patient because it will make it appear as though all of your interactions center around them personally (which is obviously not true).

9. What has been your biggest professional disappointment and how did you overcome it?

This is a great question for the interviewer to ask because it shows your ability to learn from a setback and how you respond to failure. It also allows the interviewer to see if your attitude will be positive or negative, which can affect their overall opinion of you as a candidate.

It’s important not to get caught up in the emotion of disappointment, but instead focus on how you can learn from the situation and adjust plans accordingly. For example, if an applicant fails an exam they were studying hard for, they might say something like:

“It was extremely disappointing when I didn’t receive a passing grade on my first attempt at this exam.”

“I learned a lot about myself during that period of time and realized that I am capable of doing better than what I had previously thought.”

“I decided that I needed more practice before taking another test so I signed up for more classes where I could work through my weaknesses.”

10. How would you handle miscommunications with other nurses and other departments/units in the organization?

How would you handle miscommunications with other nurses and other departments/units in the organization?

This question is intended to gauge your communication skills. You should first listen to what the interviewer has to say, and then ask questions to understand the issue. If you’re still confused, ask for clarification before making any assumptions about what they mean. If necessary, request a supervisor or even another solution entirely!

11. It’s the end of a 12-hour shift, and your patient starts to crash. What do you do?

“It’s the end of a 12-hour shift, and your patient starts to crash. What do you do?”

Your first step is to call for help. Then immediately begin performing CPR, checking for breathing and circulation every two minutes. If the patient does not regain consciousness and no pulse is found after 20 minutes, call for an emergency code blue team to take over resuscitation efforts.

12. Being prepared for interviews can give you an advantage.

Preparing for your interview can give you an edge in the hiring process. Here are some tips to help you out:

• Know the company and the job. Researching the company will give you a sense of what they’re looking for in their employees, which is essential to answering questions appropriately. It also helps to know what kind of person would be successful in this role, so take your time reading through the description and reviewing any available information about previous employees’ experiences within that position or other comparable roles at other companies.
• Know your interviewers. If possible, make an effort to meet with someone from HR before your interview so that they can give you tips as well as an idea of what questions might be asked during interviews by managers or peers within the organization (if applicable). This can help prepare for both behavioral and situational questions that may come up later on during interviews with those individuals directly involved with making hiring decisions regarding applicants like yourself!

Closing

By preparing for the common interview questions, you’ll be able to share your passion for nursing and show off your readiness for the job. You can also use these questions as a jumping-off point for more in-depth discussions about what makes you a great candidate. Remember: You don’t have to memorize responses; just keep practicing until they feel natural and authentic!