By Mike Simpson

Being a nurse takes a special kind of person.

Oftentimes, you’re seeing people in the middle of what can easily be the worst day of their lives. You need patience, resilience, a sense of humor, attention to detail, and a thick skin.

Of course, it can also be one of the most rewarding careers, full of excitement and drama and the kind of rush you can only get when you’re helping others. Becoming a nurse is truly a calling for the right person, but sometimes getting that first job can seem like the hardest part of the entire process, starting with those nail-biting nursing interview questions.

Luckily, we’re here to help! We’ll go over exactly what types of questions nurses can expect to be asked in an interview. We’ll give you some pro-tips on how to answer those questions including how to tailor.

Finally, we’ll give you the ten most common nursing interview questions you are most likely to encounter along with how to best answer them.

Sounds easy, right? So, let’s get started!

But just before we do, have you ever stopped to consider that there are hundreds of other, non-nursing-related interview questions you could be asked in your interview?

Several of our students have confirmed that nursing interviews are not only made up of nursing-themed questions, but also of both traditional and behavioral interview questions commonly found in a standard, non-nursing  interview.

But don’t worry, because we’ve put together a foolproof PDF cheat sheet that will outline the most common interview questions you can expect to be asked:

Types of Interview Questions For Nurses

First off, let’s discuss the different types of interview questions for nurses.

Being a nurse is a unique position, and the questions you’ll be asked in your interview are just as unique.

Yes, it’s true, you’re going to inevitably end up being asked some of the same questions you’d come across in any other job interview situation like “Tell me about yourself” and “What is your greatest strength/weakness?” but you’re also going to get asked some very specific nursing questions, and knowing how to properly answer those is going to help set you apart.

Let’s start with what makes nursing so unique in the job world.

Unlike most other careers and industries where your interactions with the public would be more along the lines of a “client” or “customer,” your interaction with the public is as a caregiver to a patient.

That requires a set of finely honed and carefully crafted interpersonal skills.

As a result, a lot of your interview questions will revolve around patient care and satisfaction and how you meet their unique needs in incredibly varied situations and circumstances.

Those questions fall under the category of behavioral questions and are asked so an interviewer can learn quickly and easily how you’d react to different situations based on your past experiences and behavior.

They’ll also tell an interviewer how you’ll handle working on a team and with other medical professionals including doctors and technicians as well as relatives and friends of patients.

Be prepared to answer questions about why you chose nursing and what it is about the career that interests you.

You’ll also be asked questions about how you work in a team as well as your ability to self-motivate and work alone.

You should also prep for questions about how you handle a crisis or how you deal with stress.

Feeling a little feverish with all these potential nursing interview questions and answers? Don’t worry! All it takes is a little prep beforehand.

Pro Tips For Answering Nurse Interview Questions

The first thing you need to do when preparing for an interview is to go over the job description with a fine-toothed comb.

Make a list of everything the employer is looking for in their Perfect Candidate.

Now, sit down and look back over all your experiences and see exactly how you’ve met all those requirements before.

It doesn’t matter if the experiences you have aren’t 100% related to the job description you’re applying to. Basically, what you want to do is give your potential future employer tailored examples of how you’ve handled situations in the past so they can extrapolate how you’d most likely react in future situations…and in some cases, examples outside of work show how you’re adept at thinking on your feet and handling yourself beyond just your job. Just make sure that no matter what, you’re answering their questions with personal examples that highlight your skills and abilities.

While you’re doing your prep and looking over the job description, it’s a good idea to also do a little research into where you’re applying. Having specifics on their techniques or their way of doing things and relating that to how you do things will not only show them you’re already in tune with their style, but it will also help to reinforce the idea that you’re the Perfect Candidate!

It’s also an opportunity to familiarize yourself with who you might be working with and for, and that can help you immensely if you find yourself invited to a panel interview.

In most situations, being a nurse means working on a team and as a result, your interview might consist of members of that potential future team. Be prepared to meet with the hiring manager, other nurses, doctors, technicians and members of the hospital administrative staff and try to know a little about each person before you go in (just don’t make it creepy.)

Now that we’ve covered some basic tips, let’s take a look at 10 of the most commonly asked nurse interview questions.

Top 15 Commonly Asked Nursing Interview Questions

1. “Why did you decide on a career as a nurse?”

While this isn’t exactly a behavioral question, it’s still one you need to be prepared to answer ahead of time. Because this is such a hands-on, specialized field, employers need to know what it is that makes you want to be a part of it. Don’t be afraid to get a little personal with your answer…just don’t go overboard!

Example answer:

2. “What do you find rewarding about this job?”

There are lots of rewards that come with a good job; the paycheck, proximity to where you live, the retirement benefits…but remember, when you’re in an interview, it’s not actually about you…it’s about them and satisfying their need, which is finding the Perfect Candidate (hint, it’s you!).

Example answer:

3. How you deal with someone who isn’t satisfied with your patient care?

Here is a great example of a behavioral question. The interviewer is asking you for a concrete example of how you handle a situation. Remember, as we discussed above, give your interviewer an example from your past and how you dealt with a situation, so they can get a feel for how you would behave in a similar situation in the future.

Example answer:

4. “Tell me what you feel your greatest skill as a nurse is.”

This is your opportunity to really showcase what it is that makes you unique from all the other applicants! Really think about this ahead of time and come up with solid examples that highlight this skill.

Example answer:

5. “How do you handle the stress of the job?”

Let’s be honest, nursing can be incredibly high stress. An employer needs to know how you handle that stress and whether or not you work well under pressure.

Example answer:

6. “Are you comfortable working with other doctors and nurses?”

As a nurse who has to interact with a wide variety of individuals in the medical field including doctors, technicians, other nurses, and the friends and families of your patients just to name a few, your first answer had better be yes. Of course, what you say after that is what is going to make or break you in your interview.

Example answer:

7. “What do you find is the hardest part about being a nurse?”

This is a trick question. No, the hiring manager isn’t actually asking you to tell him how much you hate the early morning shifts because you’re just not a morning person and you hate getting up before the sun does. Remember, they’re there to find a person to fill a job position, they’re not your therapist.

Example Answer:

8. “Why are you the best nursing candidate for this position?”

Oh man, this question is actually the best question you could hope to be asked. Why? Because this is your opportunity to really sell the hiring manager on why you’re the Perfect Candidate without actually saying those words (no, really, don’t say those words…)

Example answer:

Wow. This person truly is the perfect candidate! They’re driven, passionate, open to new things, and not content to simply come in and punch the clock. This is who you want to be because this is who employers want to hire!

9.“Tell me about yourself.”

While we at the Interview Guys already go over this question in depth on our blog in another post, it’s such an important question to answer properly that we’re going to go over it here as well.

Remember that they’re not asking you for your life story. An interviewer is asking you this question to find out from you what you think is important and how well that matches up with what they’re looking for. Remember that list of qualifications and qualities you made earlier when going over the job posting?

Now’s a time to work a few in.

Example answer:

This answer focuses directly on your strengths and how those strengths directly impact your role within the organization in a positive light.

10. “Why are you leaving your current position?”

This question is a potential land-mine. Do NOT use it as an opportunity to badmouth your current or former position. Future employers don’t need to know you hate where you worked or that your old boss was a tyrant. Rather, focus on the positive aspects and how you’re leveraging those in your new job.

Example answer:

This answer is good because you’re not saying anything negative about your past job and stressing that you’re eager to learn and take on more responsibilities. For a more in-depth article on how to generally answer this interview question, check out our article 10 Good Reasons For Leaving a Job.

11. “Why do you want to work here?”

Don’t say the money. We all know it’s the money, but please, don’t say it. Employers aren’t stupid. They know that paycheck is a big part of why you’re applying, but don’t be that guy. Talk about your career goals and your vision for your future in your industry and how those directly relate to what you will be doing if hired.

Example answer:

Nicely said! You’re both complimenting your potential employer while also stating that you’re open to continuous learning and growth. For a more in-depth article on how to generally answer this interview question, check out our article Why Do You Want to Work Here?.

12. “Would you say you’re a team player?”

As a nurse who has to interact with a wide variety of individuals in the medical field including doctors, technicians, other nurses, and the friends and families of your patients just to name a few, your first answer had better be yes. Of course, what you say after that is what is going to make or break you in your interview.

Example answer:

This is a good answer because it covers the fact that you’re a team player but also lets the employer know if there’s ever a time where you’re going to have to be on your own, you can handle it.

13. “Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult patient and how you handled that.”

Tough patients are going to be a regular part of your daily routine, and no employer wants to hire a nurse who is going to be unable to handle these types of characters.

Example answer:

This shows a potential employer that you’re comfortable tackling tough situations and that you take pride in working through problems others have given up on.

14. “Why should we hire you?”

Oh man, this question is actually the best question you could hope to be asked. Why? Because this is your opportunity to really sell the hiring manager on why you’re the Perfect Candidate without actually saying those words (no, really, don’t say those words…)

Example answer:

Wow. This person truly is the perfect candidate! They’re driven, passionate, open to new things, and not content to simply come in and punch the clock. This is who you want to be because this is who employers want to hire! For a more in-depth article on how to generally answer this interview question, check out our article Why Should We Hire You?

15. “Do you have any questions for us?”

Yes. Yes you do. And you thought about those questions before you came in. In fact, you thought about those questions so carefully that you wrote them down and now you’ve got them on a piece of paper so you can ask the hiring manger one or two well thought out, intelligent questions. You could ask about length of new hire orientation and what you’d be doing exactly if you were hire. You might ask about the nurse to patient ratio or how a typical day is structured.

Regardless of what you ask, it’s important that you do ask. The point is (and we go much further into depth here in our article covering questions to ask your interviewer) by not asking questions, you’ll appear uninterested and unmotivated, and we know that’s not possible!

Putting It All Together

Now that we’ve gone over the types of questions you might be asked, given you a few nursing interview tips, brushed up on some practice questions and some sample answers, and gotten you thinking about your own questions, I think it’s safe to say you’ve got the perfect prescription for nailing that interview. (Groan!)

Good luck!

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P.S. Now that you’re an expert on the nursing interview questions you are going to be asked, don’t forget that there are hundreds of non-nursing interview questions that you could be asked in your interview! Thankfully we’ve outlined the most common questions AND given you word-for-word answers in our free PDF below: