5 interview questions frequently asked of new nurses

You’ve landed the interview – congratulations! After reading up on how to prep for it, now it comes time to wonder what you’ll be asked once you’re actually sitting in the hot seat.

Some questions will be generic inquiries that can apply to nearly any job, some of which will seem stupid. Still more may even be illegal. But we wanted to know what questions related specifically to nursing interviews are popping up again and again, particularly for new nurses hoping to land their first jobs.

If you’re still looking to land the interview, be sure to check out the Nurses Guide to Hospitals for the lowdown on workplaces in your area.

The following are five questions we’ve seen used in real nursing interviews:

5 real nurse interview questions asked to new nurses

1. What was your clinical experience like?

This one is all-important for new nurses who don’t have work experience. For this and all questions involving experience, be sure to draw heavily on specific examples from your clinicals that give the interviewer an idea of what kind of nurse you will be.

2. How do you relax during stressful work situations?

We all know nursing can be an extremely stressful career. Because of this, you often will be asked how you deal with stress – try to provide examples of how you’ve dealt with specific incidents in the past.

3. How would you deal with a doctor’s condescending questions about your work when you know that work to be accurate?

Working with physicians can, at times, add to the aforementioned stress of nurse jobs, and recruiters will want to know that you’ll be able to work effectively with doctors. This hypothetical is designed to test your problem-solving skills.

4. Approximately how old were you when you decided to become a nurse?

This can be seen as an extension of the “What made you choose nursing as a career?” question. Use this time to emphasize why you want to be a nurse and what about your personality makes you a great fit for the profession.

5. What about [your specialty] appeals to you and why? Why did you choose this specialty?

Interviewers also want to know that you’re excited about the specialty you’ve chosen and will use a question like this one to learn more about where that excitement comes from.

What other interview questions specific to nursing have you heard? Let us know in the comments below.