New Nursing Career Interview Preparation Guide

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Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life.

Your answer should show your commitment to this job and facility.
You can explain how this nursing job meets your long term objectives by providing an opportunity to grow and develop your nursing skills.
Be realistic and select reasonable, achievable goals otherwise you will come across as a bit of a dreamer.

Nurses implement healthcare plans and keep patient records and reports. They cannot make diagnoses, but they do monitor vital signs and symptoms and report them. They can then modify care plans, according to their observations, patient response, and the advice of the doctor.

Whether the area of specialization is ER, Occupational Health, Community Health, ICU or any other, the key to answering interview questions about your nursing career choice is to be very specific about why you chose it. What influenced you in your choice? How did you explore your options? Highlight how your strengths are best utilized in this area and how it suits your personal competencies.

Nurse interview questions about your motivation to learn and stay updated are important indicators of your commitment to nursing as a career. Examples include attending conferences, subscribing to professional nursing journals, joining relevant forums and groups and conducting online research.

Make your answer relevant to the specific nursing job. For example common qualities required for successful performance as an ER Nurse include adaptability, resilience, critical thinking, organization and planning, emotional stability and high stress tolerance.

Again prepare for this by finding out as much as possible about the job and the facility. Demonstrate why this job is the one you particularly want using this background research. For example:
"I am specifically looking for a position in a facility like this because of it's excellent emergency care.

Highlight why your training and experience qualify you for this specific nurse job. Prepare for this beforehand by closely reviewing the key job requirements and matching the relevant skills and abilities you have gained to these. Provide specific examples of these skills when answering this question.
Use your background research to show your understanding of the key challenges faced by this organization. Detail how you can help meet these challenges and be part of the solution.

► Do you plan to have a family? When?
► How many kids do you have?
► What are your child care arrangements?
► To what clubs or social organizations do you belong?
► How tall are you?
► How much do you weigh?
► Do you have any disabilities?
► What is your medical history?
► Have you had any recent or past illnesses or operations?
► How is your family's health?
► Have you ever been arrested?
► If you have been in the military, were you honorably discharged?

► What are the motivating factors for your personal happiness? For satisfaction in the workplace?
► Tell me about an important goal you set for yourself and how you were successful in achieving it?
► Describe how you demonstrate professionalism in your activities. What behaviors and characteristics contribute to that image?
► Describe a situation where you persuaded an individual or group to follow your course of action rather than their previously stated position?
► What was the hardest job you held, and what did you do to get through it?

► Define pro-active and give me an example of a time when you behaved this way?
► Tell me about a situation in which you had to work with someone with whom you were uncomfortable. Describe the working relationship that developed and your influence on this relationship?
► Recall a situation or relationship which suffered from poor communication. What happened and how did you resolve it?
► What personal qualities do you feel are important to be successful in this position? Which of these qualities do you possess? Give an example of how these qualities have helped you in your present position?
► What is your definition of leadership, and why do you feel it is important? How have you demonstrated leadership? Tell me about a situation in which you should have shown more leadership than you did?
► Give me an example of when you had to make a quick decision. What were the results?

► Describe a stressful clinical situation and how you handled it?
► Describe an encounter with an angry or frustrated patient and family member and how you handled it?
► Describe the most challenging patient experience you've had. Explain why?
► Tell me about a time when your performance did not meet your expectations?
► Give me an example of how you handled rapid or unexpected change?
► Tell me about a time when you had to build motivation or team spirit with members of a work group?
► Tell me about a time when you received difficult (or less than positive) feedback from your supervisor. How did you respond to the feedback? What changes did you? implement as a result?

► What work experience has been the most valuable to you and why?
► What has been your greatest challenge?
► What frustrates you the most?
► What else should I know about you?
► Where were your parents born?
► What is your native tongue?
► How old are you?
► When did you graduate from college?
► What is your birth date?
► What is your marital status?
► With whom do you live?

► How does this position meet those goals?
► What kind of compensation are you looking for?
► How have your educational and work experience prepared you for this position?
► What challenges are you looking for in a position?
► How would you describe yourself?
► How would a supervisor describe you?
► Describe what you feel to be an ideal working environment?
► In your current or last position, what features did you like most? Least?
► What is the most important thing you're looking for in an employer?
► Describe what you believe to be an ideal supervisor?

► Tell me about yourself?
► Why did you select a nursing career?
► Why are you interested in our organization?
► What contribution will you make in our organization?
► Why do you want this job?
► What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
► Why should I hire you?
► Why do you want to leave your present job?
► What are your most significant accomplishments?
► What are your short-term and long-term career goals?

Nurses are patient and emotionally intelligent. They are efficient and organized, and kind at all times. It is as much the job of the nurse to offer sympathy to the patient as it is to perform the more technical tasks, such as administering injections and taking temperature.

Nurses interact both with patients and with other medical personnel. Communication skills are very important. Patients require tolerance and sensitivity. Medical personnel require team work, coordination and cooperation, and clearly communicated information which facilitates planning and implementing adequate care plans.

Nurses do not usually work alone. They are part of a team of medical personnel. More experienced or senior nurses manage units or shifts, and instruct and supervise new employees. They keep an eye on other nurses to make sure care is administered properly.

Nurses maintain stocks and inventories, arrange rooms and equipment, and prepare sterilized instruments prior to its usage by patients or other medical personnel. This is not as simple as it sounds, because it requires attention and experience to know when a room is required and which specific piece of equipment might be the most important, which is something doctors do not always have the time to explain.

Here is a chance to speak about your training, any courses you have taken, related books and articles you have read, as well as all the experience you have accumulated, including volunteer and part time positions.

All jobs have advantages and disadvantages. As you respond, be careful - do not say anything that puts your previous jobs in a bad light, unless it was a well-known or extreme situation. Focus on the positive, mention a few good things about previous job(s). If you feel it is important, briefly outline any disadvantages. Close with more positive comments.

Nursing involves helping, sharing and efficient medical team work. These capabilities are nursing fundamentals; it is impossible to work alone. Therefore, tell interviewers about your positive past group experiences and try to convince the employer that you are a team player.

Every person in the medical world should be resourceful and organized in their work. Without organization, even the greatest of genii would not have been able to achieve their complete potential. Therefore, tell the interviewer about how organized you are in your work and even in your personal life; give examples. This will add value to your resume, and raise your chances of landing the position.

The medical world is full of emergency situations, and anyone with any experience at all must have a few incidents to speak of. When answering this question, tell about some of the most challenging and difficult cases that you have faced. You can also talk about a specific problem and how you handled it. Make sure that you speak about the added value that the situation gave to your medical experience.

This question is very common in various healthcare departments. These professions mostly have people who work for reasons other than the financials. Therefore, you should inform the interviewer about your inherent need to serve people and help them get better and the happiness you feel when successful.