7 Toughest and trickiest nursing interview questions
Interviews are the first part to get into a nursing career. Some interview questions are tough and tricky.
Passing interview questions is not easy and reviewing sample interview questions is the key to surpass it. It is better to be prepared beforehand rather than be speechless during the interview.
We gathered the toughest and trickiest interview questions there is for nurses. These tends to be similar to any job interview, so we trimmed it down to seven with tips on possible answers you can give.
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Tell me about yourself. One of the basic and most common question to any job interview, especially in nursing. The interviewer wants to know your personality, attitude and general approach to nursing.
You can answer by narrating details about your personality, professional experiences, educational attainment and career goals, all related to nursing. Focus on your strengths too that had helped you excel as a nurse.
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Why choose a nursing career? It may seem simple but this one is a tricky question. Your interviewer likes to perceive your motivation in entering the field of nursing and how dedicated you are to it.
Answering this question by stating that you just like nursing will do no good. Instead, prove your commitment and devotion to nursing by talking about the steps you’ve taken to pursue your goal to be a nurse. You can also narrate briefly the turning point that made you decide to be a nurse.
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What do you know about our institution? In any job interview, it is an SOP that you research on the background of the company you wish to apply to. This is also true for any nursing institution or hospitals. The question is asked by the interviewer to learn how well you know about them and how interested you are in joining them.
So how should you answer this one? Check their website for patient feedback and reviews, or ask friends who works on the same place. Relate what you know about the nursing institution with why you chose to apply there. This will definitely score you points if you are knowledgeable about their institution.
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Why should we hire you? Another basic and common question. The interviewer wants to assess how you can be an asset if you are hired and how you see yourself and your strengths.
As a nurse, you can prove that you can be part of their solutions to existing problems. Emphasize your strengths and correlate them with how they can benefit the institution. Show them that your characteristics are worthy contributions for improvement.
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Share with us how you work under pressure. Since the duties of a nurse are unpredictable, employers want to avoid hiring crybabies for the job. They want to analyze your capacity to perform everyday nursing duties. The best thing you can do? Present a previous experience where you can prove your strength working under pressure.
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Are you a team player? The interviewer wants to know your thoughts on the importance of working as team in the provision of patient care. You can earn good points by talking how you worked alongside your team in your previous nursing experience. Stress also the importance of good team synergy in successful patient care.
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What is your salary requirements? The most tricky question which you shouldn’t answer with an exact number. The interviewer would like to see if your expected salary meets the employer’s range. Usually, the first one to name a price loses the negotiation process.
What you can do is to find out the salary range for nurses in your area and department. Then you can say that you are more interested in the position you are applying than the pay. But if the interviewer insists, you can give a broad range well within industry standards.
Practicing your responses to these nursing interview questions, you somehow evaluate yourself. Understand your motivations, goals and plans. This will help you answer with sincerity and confidence thus increasing the chance of passing the interview and getting hired.
Published at: 09/22/2017
