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When you apply for a registered nurse position, you can expect to face job-specific interview questions. These will test your knowledge and commitment, as well as reveal your personality and philosophy to nursing. The interviewer wants to see if you are the right fit, so expect registered nurse interview questions to make you think deeply about yourself.
Be prepared to answer both behavioral and situational type interview questions to show how you use your nursing skills. Use the STAR method. Explain the situation, define your task, show how you took action and what the results were. As a nurse, this will be an example framework for discussing your skills because it clarifies your approach.
Nursing requires a lot of passion, so make sure to answer your questions with sincerity. Your primary focus will be on your patients and their health. As you read the following examples, consider what unique spin you could give to your answers to combine your passion with your qualifications.
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Why did you choose nursing as a career?
This is a classic interview question. When it comes to nursing, the interviewer wants to understand more about you and what brought you to the field. Nursing is not a career to be taken lightly. It requires dedication to the welfare of many patients and an ability to work in diverse environments. Your answer should reflect your engagement.
Example Answer:
I chose nursing when I was in high school. My grandmother was sick, and I spent a lot of time with her at the hospital. I became friendly with her nurses, and I learned a lot about what they did. I admired their ability to give each patient high-quality care, and I could tell they valued their work very much.
Why are you interested in our hospital?
Every hospital is going to be somewhat unique. You should always research the organization before the interview. Learn about their mission statement and how they are organized. With this information, you can connect yourself to the hospital. Talk about something that gets you excited and makes you a valuable asset.
Example Answer:
Your hospital is at the forefront of an innovative approach to holistic care. Your combination of technology and patient feedback has a positive impact on the community. I value this rational and empathetic approach to patient care. I know I would only grow in such an environment.
How do you work as a member of a team?
Nurses are members of big and small healthcare teams. You will work with other nurses, doctors, administrators, and other healthcare professions. It is important to be both self-sufficient and team-focused to ensure your organization achieves its goals and fulfills its duty to its patients.
Example Answer:
As a member of any team, I always reaffirm with myself what our values and goals are to make sure I am on the same page as everyone else. I do my best to communicate my needs and listen to the needs of my team members. This helps me during challenges because I can remain focused on our tasks at hand without taking anything too personal.
Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult patient.
Nurses have to deal with difficult patients for many different reasons. The patient could be having a crisis or else does not trust healthcare professionals. In these situations, you need to show how you can help the patient without resorting to unprofessional behavior.
Example Answer:
Once during a night shift, I had to deal with a patient who was suffering a mental health episode. He became violent and tried to hit me. From my training, I was able to defend myself without hurting him. Eventually, I was able to calm him down by getting him to talk about himself. Once the doctor arrived, the patient was ready for examination.
What has been your most rewarding experience with a patient?
Nurses need to be invested in their jobs for more than just the money. Rewarding experiences with patients provide intangible value to the profession. You should have such an experience from either your schooling or previous job that you can expand on. This will reveal your passion that is necessary for success.
Example Answer:
As a student nurse in a long-term care ward, a patient was suffering from chronic eye trouble. They were getting depressed because they could not read, which they loved to do. I used to read to them for twenty minutes each night I worked. When they told me this saved them, I felt incredibly touched by their words.
How would you prioritize your responsibilities when you have little time and many patients?
Healthcare facilities can get busy, so nurses must manage their time efficiently through organization and prioritization. Your answer will reveal your judgment. Remember what your values and goals are as you prioritize your responsibilities. Don’t be afraid to admit your limitations since this is only human.
Example Answer:
I would work with my team to figure out which of our patients needed the most immediate care. Then I would do my best to help each patient as much as possible while also being mindful of the time spent. Unfortunately, I might not be able to divide my time and energy fairly, but I would do my best to communicate these goals to my patients.
What would you do if your shift replacement was late?
Nurses cannot leave their job when their shift is done without their replacement being present. Otherwise, there would be breaks in the availability of care which can have serious repercussions. This is a situation that will test your sense of professionalism. Be a team player but don’t lose sight of your own needs.
Example Answer:
I would stay until my replacement showed up. However, if my replacement were so late that I could no longer stay, I would talk to my nurse manager about finding a solution. I understand that people are sometimes late, and as such, I wouldn’t take it out on my coworker.
How would you communicate with a doctor you don’t agree with?
Nurses' knowledge of a situation can sometimes come into conflict with the diagnosis of doctors. As a nurse, your proximity to patients can give you a different perspective. If you think you have a valid disagreement, then for the sake of your patient’s health, you need to find a way to successfully and professionally communicate that with the doctor.
Example Answer:
If I didn’t agree with a doctor, I would let him know in private. I wouldn’t want to discuss this in front of the patient because that could confuse or upset them. I would first ask why the doctor made their decision. Then I would share my observations. I would diplomatically offer my solutions as extensions of the doctor’s initial diagnosis.
What is your greatest skill as a nurse?
Nursing requires all sorts of skills. To stand out in the interview, you will want to pick the one you can talk about confidently. The more comfortable you are with a skill, the more comfortable you will feel as you talk about it. Don’t sell yourself short here. Be proud of your greatest skill.
Example Answer:
My greatest skill as a nurse is my ability to be calm when a patient is under duress. I have found this ability inadvertently calms down most patients, and for those who do not calm down, I can still navigate the situation successfully. My previous supervisors have recognized my calmness as crucial in past situations.
What is your greatest weakness as a nurse?
No one is perfect, so be honest about your limitations. Any interview question that asks about your weaknesses is an opportunity for growth and self-awareness. As a nurse, you should expect to struggle. Let this struggle show how your passion for the job guides you through your challenge.
Example Answer:
I am not good at delegating responsibility. I always want to be the one who is dealing directly with patients and supervising their treatment. However, I have been working on this with a professional mentor who is a nurse manager. Her conversations have taught me how to accept and compartmentalize responsibilities while trusting others.
How do you handle long-term stress?
Nursing is stressful both in short-term situations and over a long-term period. The interviewer will want to see how you manage to stay healthy in the face of this possibility. A nurse cannot succeed otherwise. This is also an opportunity to highlight unique pieces of your personality and talk about interests or hobbies.
Example Answer:
I love to paint as a way to deal with long-term stress. It helps me unwind to come home and work on a painting. Especially during stressful periods, I use my painting projects to reflect upon my tension and find release within the art. It’s nice because I can work a little bit each day on the painting for as long or as little as I want.
Tell me about a time you dealt with a patient who spoke a different language.
Nurses may not always have translators or medical interpreters to help them with patients who speak a different language. You need to be able to communicate in other ways to help. This kind of question reveals your communication and creativity skills.
Example Answer:
Once, I had an immigrant patient who did not speak English. However, both of us understood basic French. From this, I discerned that my patient was feeling pain in their stomach after eating. I then took a piece of paper and drew out with pictures the oral procedure I needed to perform, which they accepted.
How would you handle a patient who doesn’t trust medical professionals?
Some people don’t trust medical professionals, and it can make the job difficult for nurses. Therefore, exceptional nurses should take it upon themselves to work with a patient to build this trust. This is not easy, nor is it always successful, but it should always be worth the effort.
Example Answer:
I once had an old man who didn’t trust hospitals. So I told him my story of why I became a nurse. I explained to him how helping him was more important to me than money. He softened up and shared with me his fear of being misdiagnosed. With gentle words, I was able to assure him we would avoid that at all costs.
Where do you want your nursing career to take you?
Nursing can take you in any direction you wish. You may want to be a career nurse your whole life, or you may want to become a doctor or administrator. There is no right answer. The only wrong answer would show you lack any sense of direction. A nurse needs to be invested in their field one way or the other.
Example Answer:
I am not one for leadership positions. I think I want to be a nurse my whole life. However, that being said, I might be interested in administrative positions that allow me to work more directly with other community organizations.
What are your standards and guiding principles for nursing?
This is more than why you want to be a nurse. This question is about what you think makes for a great nurse. Your answer will show what you value and how you best think those values should be used.
Example Answer:
My guiding principle is that nurses are there to support the patients. Even when we take charge, we only do it for the sake of the patient’s health and safety. I can only accomplish this with established trust and empathetic communication with the patient.