7 Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

Apr 18, 2018

7 Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Nurse interview questions and answers.

 


 

1. Why did you decide to become a nurse?

This question is an attempt to get to know the candidate better as an individual. Everyone has a reason for going into their chosen profession and this should this should be viewed as an opportunity to explain what one’s motivations are and why they chose to nurse. It would be a good idea to provide a personal example if applicable, but the answer should be honest and sincere.

A good example of an answer would be “I decided to become a nurse because I genuinely love working with people and caring for others. When I was a child, I had an appendectomy and was really apprehensive about it. The doctors were great, but only spent a limited amount of time with me. It was the nurses who spent time, answered questions, and helped put me and my family at ease. They were fantastic during my recovery and that has always stuck with me. That is a big reason I decided to become a nurse.”

 

2.Give us an example of a situation where you had to deal with a difficult and demanding patient and what you did.

Nursing is a field in which you work with many different people during difficult and stressful times. There will always be difficult patients and this question seeks to gauge one’s reaction to a common issue.

“I remember one particular patient who was in a lot of pain and did not want to be touched, was verbally abusive and constantly complaining about their pain. I reviewed his chart and spoke with the attending physician to ensure that we were doing everything we could to manage his pain. After doing so, I let him know that we were doing everything possible to make him comfortable. While what I could do for him was limited, I made sure that he felt listened to and that we weren’t dismissive.”

 

3. Why do you want to work at this hospital, office, etc.?

This is a question to determine what the candidate knows about the facility and if they did their homework. Before interviewing, it is important to research the office, hospital, or facility beforehand and to be able to ask or answer related questions. If a job applicant does not know anything about the office, hospital, or practice it shows a basic lack of preparation and casts serious doubt on whether or not they actually want to work there.

“I would like to work at this hospital because of its excellent reputation for emergency medicine. I started as an EMT and had the opportunity to transport patients to various emergency rooms throughout the city and I was always impressed at the thoroughness, professionalism, and skill of the doctors and nurses that I encountered here. I know that this particular facility gets a good number of advanced trauma patients and I am looking forward to applying what I have already learned while still having the opportunity to learn from a seasoned and professional staff.”
 

4. Why did you choose the particular field of nursing that you are in?

This question is another way to get to know the candidate. Different specialties require different personality types and each has their own unique challenges. The best answer to give is one that provides some insight as to what drives the decision-making process.

“I have always loved aviation and was naturally drawn to emergency medicine. I spent time in the Army as a combat medic and as such spent a lot of time around helicopters both for transportation and for medical evacuations. After I left the Army, I knew that a flight nurse was the best way to build upon my previous interests and experiences in the civilian world.”
 

5. What kinds of personality traits are most effective for nurses to have?

This question is great for gauging a candidate's understanding of the complexity and human side of nursing. Nurses require a number of skills, especially interpersonal skills in order to successfully work with doctors, patients, family members, and other staff.

“In my opinion, the personality traits that make nurses most effective are patience, compassion, and attention to detail.”

6. What are the biggest challenges or issues that nurses face today?

This is a great way to gauge whether a candidate is staying up to date on trends and news in the industry.

“In my opinion, the biggest challenges and issues facing nurses today are mandatory overtime, safe staffing levels, and workplace safety. The current nursing shortage has led to potentially dangerous practices like mandatory overtime and unsafe staffing levels. This increases the stress on nurses, decreases the quality of patient care, and increases the likelihood of medical errors. ”

7.  Why Do you feel you are qualified for the job?

This is an opportunity for the candidates to sell themselves and talk about past education and experiences.

“I feel that I am qualified for the job because I have my Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), I am a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and have 6 years of practical experience as a nurse anesthetist. I also stay on top of industry news, studies, and attend seminars or symposiums at least twice a year. I genuinely enjoy what I do and put in extra effort to be the best that I possibly can.”

Other Articles

Think about working in Australia. The salary of nurses are one of the highest in the world. They have a large, interesting country with endless things to explore. The quality of life is great; it is second best globally. People live outside a lot more than they do here, are laidback, and friendly. Working overseas, while initially scary, can be one of the best decisions you ever make. Being outside your comfort zone forces you to grow as you are tested by challenges that not many people will get the opportunity to go through. Depending on where you go, it can be very different from back home. This change in environment builds confidence as a result of changes in your perspective. Not only will it look good on your resume for future career opportunities, a new country is a land of endless discovery that you can make during your downtime after work. Want to work as a nurse in Australia? Read on to find out. About Australia Register with NMBA Apply for skills assessment with AMNAC Get on AHPRA online public register Pass the AMNAC skills assessment Living in Australia About Australia Because it was geographically isolated as an island for millions of years, many species can only be found on the Australian sub-continent. Australia is a rapidly advancing country: it is the 13th-largest economy, and is ninth on the list of income-per-capita. It ranks highly in terms of quality of life, healthcare, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and human rights. An influx in migration from all over the globe to Australia has resulted in the country becoming a rich, diverse, and friendly melting pot of cultures and ideas. Register with NMBA The process of migrating to Australia for work as a nurse involves a few regulating bodies. In a nutshell, in order to practice nursing, you’d have to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). This board handles your qualifications, and deems your education to be relevant, meeting Australian standards. Then you have to apply with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, or ANMAC. This body takes into account your work experience, and handles your migration to Australia. It is possible to be accepted by the NMBA, but rejected by the ANMAC. The suggested pathway is to register with the NMBA first. For registration, they will assess you on three things: Criminal history English language skills (a recent result of tests like IELTS or TOEFL is needed) Recency of practice. You need to clear this part if you’ve already been practicing as a registered nurse here in Malaysia. Recent grads without prior work experience need not do this step. Apply for skills assessment with AMNAC Once this is done, and approved by NMBA, you then apply to AMNAC for a skills assessment. This is the application that will approve your migration to Australia. They have five criteria to submit: Proof of identity English language proficiency (similar to NMBA criterion) Educational equivalence (whether or not the nursing degree or training is the same standard as AMNAC’s standards) Professional Practice Fitness to practice. Get on AHPRA online public register If you’ve graduated from Malaysia, you would have to complete some further training. This is because you do not meet Criteria 3- Education equivalence. Hence you would not be suitable for a skills assessment from AMNAC, which prevents your migration. To get over this hurdle, you need to be on AHPRA’s online public register, which determines that you are fit to practice, and that your education and training are both deemed usable for their healthcare system. This training can be in the form of a bridging program or something similar. Contact the Dept of Immigration and Border Protection for a visa to go to Australia to complete your training. Pass the AMNAC skills assessment Then there’s only left the final step! AMNAC will approve your application to go through their skills assessment. Once that’s done, they will issue a Letter of Determination. If you are suitable for migration, congrats! Head back over to Department of Immigration and Border Protection website to start the visa process. Living in Australia Australia has seven of the top 100 universities in the world so great place for education. Also, each year Australian Government provides approx $200 million dollars in scholarships for local and international students. It’s a good opportunity to raise your children there. Australia is a safe, multicultural, friendly and harmonious society. It has a comparatively very low crime rate and strict gun control laws providing a safe place to live. Medical insurance, healthcare facilities and doctor’s prescription medications are cheaper than many developed countries. So you can have a peace of mind whenever misfortunes happen. Halal food is relatively easy to get in the larger cities. Lately the vegetarian movement has been very well-liked with the local populace. Regardless of your dietary needs, Australia is open enough to accommodate everyone. Conclusion Migration to another country can be scary. There are no certainties. No guarantees. You’d be leaving familiar environment behind, and embracing the change that will happen. Be proud of yourself for taking this next big step in your career. As the world gets smaller and more connected, employers are more in need of healthcare practitioners who are open-minded, culturally-exposed, and competent to meet the needs of 21st century challenges. You stand to gain a new skillsets from experienced specialists who work in challenging environments. It will solidify your confidence - and compassion. That compassion will come from the realization that despite differing borders and flags, we are still one big family. The realization that we’re not so different after all, and that access to health care is a basic human right. Start applying for nursing jobs overseas with MIMS Careers. Just signup, input your details and resume, and you will be able to apply for those job posts with a single click. Not only that, you can save jobs you are interested in for later viewing. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Set up job alerts so we can notify you of new employers that meet your search criteria.

How to Work as A Nurse in Australia

Think about working in Australia. The salary of nurses are one of the highest in the world. They have a large, interesting country with endless things to explore. The quality of life is great; it is second best globally. People live...

Read More
Introduction Community health is the focus of the health of a population of a community group, rather than on individuals. It is a very distinct field of medicine and nursing, and therefore must be taught in a separate school of public or community health. The health of a community in the current socio-economic climate poses many challenges that need to be overcome. There are many work opportunities that offer different kinds of responsibilities and skills that healthcare professionals are encouraged to look into. In history, there are a few diseases that have caused a big impact to the world; such diseases include smallpox, polio, measles and mumps. Whilst largely eradicated today, these were debilitating diseases that caused the death of millions, often in a very short span of time. Their eradication is due to large movements by governing bodies to curb these diseases by education and clinical methods to promote mass immunities. More recently, outbreaks like dengue, malaria, and HIV/AIDS continue to pose a threat to the health and well-being of local communities. Community health has caused a lot of good even in non-medical sectors. Mandatory schooling was put into place after it was found that the industrial revolution workplace was detrimental to their well-being. The science of epidemiology (the study of diseases) came about after efforts to understand cholera were being propagated by the British. Also, stronger health and safety standards for foods brought about a remarked interest in wholesome foods for the European population. Why is it important? Herd immunity contains the spread of contagious diseases. It is the basis on which community health (or public health, depending on which region of the world you’re from) is formed upon. Herd immunity is a concept in which most members of the community are protected against that disease because there is little opportunity for an outbreak. Vaccines are used extensively in this; influenza, measles, mumps, rotavirus, and several dangerous pneumococcal strains are kept at bay due to herd immunizations. These debilitating diseases are extremely dangerous when left to infect a large community. It can cause losses of life, economic downturns, and even social upheaval. There is a growing anti-science and anti-vaccination movement that is seriously undoing all the work physicians, researchers, and epidemiologists have done. These people are averse to any form of scientific and health information that they put their communities at risk because they shun vaccinations and community health practices. A major part of community health lies in the communication of healthcare. When the anti-vaccine crowd refuse to immunize their children, it puts their children and the children of others at risk of conntagions that would normally be of no issue. This fracture in the community is enough to bring back long-eradicated bugs into modern society. It is a major issue to address amongst community health practitioners, doctors, and nurses. How does the work look like? Community health is divided into three: primary, secondary, and tertiary. While loosely related, they all have differing lines of work, responsibility, and career progression. Primary Primary community healthcare focuses on the individual. These are interventions like hand-washing, personal hygiene, immunization, circumcision, diet , and so on. Health communication is key in this area. One can be a nurse, but when working in primary he/she can be a speaker to communicate these practices to the public. Secondary This concerns the environment . The draining of puddles to prevent mosquito breeding, spraying of insecticides to avoid disease vectors like cockroaches , and clearing of rubbish to address rat populations are all part of this. Tertiary Tertiary healthcare consists of clinical interventions . Things like rehydration, surgery, and so on. How to work in community health? Your options are pretty wide. You can check out the public, education, private, and non-profit sectors. In the public sector, institutes like IMR (Institute of Medical Research) work closely with the Ministry of Health (KKM) to deploy methods in increasing the health and wellness of Malaysians as a population. Recently they are doing extensive work combating childhood obesity with they myBFF (My Body is Fit and Fabulous) program . The education sector will be rife of opportunities for clinicians who wish to work in a non-clinical setting. Universities, schools and colleges are potential work areas. The private sector has a lot of companies waiting to get into the healthcare industry as a business. Our company MIMS provides timely information to educate the public and healthcare professionals on latest issues on healthcare. Also we provide a drug information service that physicians and consumers can search any time, anywhere. Non-profit organizations like MAKNA (National Cancer Council Malaysia), or NKF (National Kidney Foundation) hire employees with a clinical background to help them raise awareness of the diseases or patients that they focus on. They constantly look out for people to help them with communication, treatments, and financing. Career Progression Search about these points below to know more about your potential career paths: Biostatistics programs Environmental health and science programs Social behavioral programs Epidemiology programs health services and administration programs Search for high-paying nursing jobs on MIMS Career . Browse, save, and apply for nursing jobs, all in one-click. Take the opportunity for higher pay and better work locations. Our pages are all mobile-responsive, allowing you to take that leap for a better job whenever, wherever you are. All our job postings are heavily screened to prevent scams and mistrustful behavior.

Career Highlight: Community Health

Introduction Community health is the focus of the health of a population of a community group, rather than on individuals. It is a very distinct field of medicine and nursing, and therefore must be taught in a separate school of public or...

Read More
Photo by Rami Al-Zayat 1. Note-taking 2. Scheduling 3. Reading Smartphone as a work assistant Our phones have gone from blocky, awkward devices to sleek, thin machines. It is now 2017, and processing power in smartphones (even in budget ones) have overcome the performance of some computers just ten years ago. With the modern smartphone now more of a pocket computer than a communication device, several apps have been made to make work easier. These apps, when used with a bit of creativity and time, can help you stay on top of your goals, never miss an important piece of info, track everything that matters to you and increase mental focus. Read on to find out how you can transform your phone from a typical communications device to an indispensable work and life assistant. 1. Note-taking Text Take notes with your phone rather than on a piece of paper. Unlike paper, you won’t lose digital notes if you have them backed up to the cloud. Moreover, you can take hundreds of notes with you on your phone without needing to carry thick notebooks everywhere you go. Most note-taking apps are searchable, like a web browser. Retrieve your information quickly and easily, whenever you need it. On Android, the best note-taking app is Google Keep . Keep allows your to color-code your notes to your fancy. Add them to your home screen as a widget for quick access. You can still view your notes on any computer with an internet connection. Simply go over to the Google Keep site, log in with your Google account, and browse through your notes. source source On iOS, we recommend the default Notes app. It’s beautifully designed, clean, and robust. Write notes on the fly, and format your text in bold , italics , or underlined. Much like Google Keep, you can attach photos on to your notes. You can also organize them in folders, for easy retrieval. source Bonus tip : You can create a note with your voice! Activate Siri by long-pressing the home button, and say “ Make a note “. Siri will ask you what to write about, and it will write whatever you just said. Scan documents What if you had access to all the paper receipts, documents, letters, and notes; any time, anywhere? You can! Your smartphone has a camera. The best scanner is the scanner you always have with you! Simply point your phone towards a paper document and take a photo. Make sure you adjust the focus a bit so text is clear on your phone’s screen. Then, simply create a photo album in your phone’s photos gallery, label it SCANS and move the photos of your documents there. Evernote ( iOS , Android ) is a multi-platform note-taking app that has a really cool scanning function. When you scan documents with Evernote, the app will brighten the document, making it seem like it was really scanned using a proper scanner. In dark environments, the app will automatically activate your phone’s flash to brighten up the image. Even when taking scans of the document at an angle, Evernote will modify the image to make it seem like you took it straight down! source Evernote has OCR (Optical Character Recognition); meaning that words in the document scans are searchable in the app. It even works for handwriting! Other alternatives to Evernote include Scanbot , PDF Scanner + OCR Free , and Scanner Pro . Draw sketches Sometimes text just doesn’t cut it. What if you need to draw something? It happens a lot, especially in nursing and medical work. Both Google Keep and iOS notes have the ability to create drawings. Unlike pen and paper, you’ll never run out of ink! Android Police How to make a drawing in Notes iOS 2. Scheduling Calendar Schedule events or tasks that you can’t do today. Any calendar app works well; but we recommend Google Calendar ( iOS , Android ). It has natural language text-parsing, meaning you simply type your event into the app like how you’d say it. For example, typing: Midwifery refresher seminar 8pm Sunday at UMMC Will add a calendar entry Midwifery refresher seminar , dated on Sunday at 8PM, and location at UMMC. The app can take the information of the location of the event from Google Maps. So on that day, it notifies you what time you should leave to arrive on time! Macworld 3. Reading Books Why bring your whole bookshelf when you can just carry your phone with you? Many textbook publishers also offer ebook versions of their textbooks. With an ebook reader app, you can read books you’ve saved on your phone. Now you can refer your favorite 900-page physiology textbook anywhere without needing to break your back. The Kindle ( iOS , Android ) app allows you to buy ebooks from Amazon and you can read them anytime you like. Check out their selection of nursing textbooks that you can get cheaper than the physical copies. Even if you delete the ebooks off your phone, you can still re-download them from Kindle. Play Store 3. Task Management Todoist (iOS, Android) Putting tasks out of your head and into a system that you trust is one of the best ways to prevent information overload. This enables you to have less mental distractions as you only focus on the task you are currently doing, rather than having other future tasks nagging in your mind. Using task management apps can seem complicated, but it actually is not. The end goal is to spend less time doing the things you want to do, so that you have more time to do the things you want to do. Having a to-do list makes it easy for you to see what you have right now, and what actions are up next. Todoist is a great app for this. It’s available on all platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, and Chrome. Todoist Start by listing down tasks in your Inbox. As your task list grows, you might start to see some tasks are related to each other. Create projects in Todoist to group these tasks and sort them. Some tasks are more complicated than other tasks. You can break down these tasks into a series of sub-tasks, allowing you to focus on tackling one thing at a time in pursuit of a larger goal. Remember, to eat an elephant, you need to take one bite at a time. Todoist Also, just like Google Calendar, Todoist accepts natural language input; set tasks to recur daily, monthly, every two weeks, or even something complicated such as “ Every third Saturday of the month “. Todoist will understand you. See here for the complete guide. Todoist is free to use, but with a small subscription fee, premium features such as location-based reminders, file attachments, and tagging are unlocked. The modern smartphone is a great tool for self-improvement, organization, and productivity. In such a small device, you can read books, take notes, and stay on top of your work any time, any day. As nurses’ work become more and more complex, we need better tools to help us keep track of daily life. Hopefully you have gained insight into using this great tool, and help you take on challenges that will advance your career as a nurse. Head over to MIMS Career and discover our wide range of nurse jobs. All of our pages are mobile-responsive; browse jobs, sign up, and apply are all doable on your smartphone. Make your next career move, with MIMS Career . Our Most Popular Articles Think About These 5 Things Before You Decide On A Specialization 5 Things Nurses Need To Know To Be Paid More 10 Ways Malaysian Nurses Can Increase Their Income

You Should Be Using These Apps On Your Phone

Photo by Rami Al-Zayat 1. Note-taking 2. Scheduling 3. Reading Smartphone as a work assistant Our phones have gone from blocky, awkward devices to sleek, thin machines. It is now 2017, and processing power in...

Read More