NURSING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS.
Nursing Interview Questions - Answers-
General Information - Answers-
Tell us about yourself - Answers-I consider myself to be very enthusiastic, determined
and caring. I'm all about self-improvement and growth, always welcoming challenges
and learning opportunities. I always strive to be a better version of myself in every
aspect and this is evident in everything I do.
Why do you want to go into Nursing? - Answers-I chose Nursing for a variety of reasons
but one of the main ones is because I believe the profession coincides with my
personality, putting my best characteristics to good use. I'm very compassionate and
nurturing, and have always wanted to devote myself to serving the public. It's a diverse
and universal profession, applicable to many settings of practice. It is also challenging,
satisfying my desire to learn and grow. Additionally, it is a holistic yet scientific
profession, devoted to taking care of the person, not the disease, with evidence-based
practice.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? - Answers-In five years, I see myself as
proficient ICU nurse. Within these five years, I will also take the exam for the Critical
Care RN (CCRN) certification, once eligible. I am definitely interested in becoming an
Advanced Practice nurse but my main focus is gaining the experience I need to be a
competent clinician. (Which type of APN? Once I being working, I will learn more about
each type of APN, such as education or NP, and let my experience guide me from
there.)
Personality - Answers-
How do you feel working in an ethically and religiously diverse environment? - Answers-
Simply put, I will feel great working in an ethically and religiously diverse environment.
Given the fact that diversity in the US is rapidly increasing, cultural competence is a
characteristics that all clinicians will need to possess in order to provide equal, high
quality care. Therefore, working in a diverse setting or with diverse patient populations
will increase the quality of care I provide, decrease discrepancies and, overall, make me
a better nurse.
Are you a team player? Do you prefer to work alone or in teams? - Answers-I am
definitely a team player. I believe that the more minds, the better because each
individual brings their own unique skillset and approach, maximizing outcome (and you
learn more as well). Additionally, effective interdisciplinary collaboration has been
, shown to improve patient outcomes and benefit the institution as well. However, I am
capable of working independently to complete tasks that don't require multiple people.
How do you handle stress on the job? - Answers-As I have learned throughout my
nursing experiences at Penn, stress is inevitable. In high-stress situations, I always take
a step back, take a few deep breathes, and identify the cause of the stress. Depending
on the source, I approach it differently. If am overwhelmed by the amount of things I
need to do, I organize and prioritize what I need to do and complete the tasks as
efficiently as possible without compromising quality. If the source of stress is an irritable
co-worker that I don't get along with, I don't mind sitting down with the person and
asking how we can work together to do our jobs. But whatever the situation may be, my
patient is always my number one priority, letting my patient's best interests guide my
actions.
Recall a difficult situation and how you handled it. - Answers-This spring, I had just
arrived on the Heart and Vascular ICU at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and it was
my second day there and I honestly didn't know much. I was assigned a patient with
respiratory failure and they were being ventilated and sedated, as lung recovery was the
main goal. As I began to perform my safety checks and physical assessment, the nurse
I was working with told me he was going to eat and will be back. As I'm listening to his
lungs, the pump started alarming because the versed had ran out. I spent about 5
minutes looking for my nurse, he was nowhere to be found and every other nurse was
busy with their patients. I noticed a new bag was hanging, so I decided to start infusing
it, however I was unsure what dosage to run it at but I put it at 2mg, like the orders said.
However, in a few minutes, the patient became severely tachypneic and was breathing
over the vent. The nurse finally arrived and reprimanded me for changing the dosage.
Although I tried to explain the situation, he said that I shouldn't have done that and I'm
not ready to be a nurse. However, when I approached him so we can talk through it, he
confessed that he was feeling irritable for personal reasons and since that time, I always
learned to never take things personal from your co-workers because you never know
what's affecting them.
What is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it? - Answers-One past
decision I always struggle with is not immediately going to college after high school. I
am often hard on myself because I tell myself I could've been where I wanted to be
already and I wasted a lot of time. But, I learned that discovering your true calling and
passion in life isn't easy and requires serious thought and time. Now, I successfully
obtained an education and will begin my career in a field I truly love. Essentially, I
learned that I should be passionate about everything I do and to never do anything for
the wrong reasons.
How do you deal with difficult patients and/or families? - Answers-Patients and family
members are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. As a nurse, I am
there to be nothing but therapeutic, therefore I never escalate any situation. I never take
anything personal because it is not about me, it's about them. I diffuse it by actively
listening to their concerns, acknowledging their emotions and asking them what I can do
ANSWERS.
Nursing Interview Questions - Answers-
General Information - Answers-
Tell us about yourself - Answers-I consider myself to be very enthusiastic, determined
and caring. I'm all about self-improvement and growth, always welcoming challenges
and learning opportunities. I always strive to be a better version of myself in every
aspect and this is evident in everything I do.
Why do you want to go into Nursing? - Answers-I chose Nursing for a variety of reasons
but one of the main ones is because I believe the profession coincides with my
personality, putting my best characteristics to good use. I'm very compassionate and
nurturing, and have always wanted to devote myself to serving the public. It's a diverse
and universal profession, applicable to many settings of practice. It is also challenging,
satisfying my desire to learn and grow. Additionally, it is a holistic yet scientific
profession, devoted to taking care of the person, not the disease, with evidence-based
practice.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? - Answers-In five years, I see myself as
proficient ICU nurse. Within these five years, I will also take the exam for the Critical
Care RN (CCRN) certification, once eligible. I am definitely interested in becoming an
Advanced Practice nurse but my main focus is gaining the experience I need to be a
competent clinician. (Which type of APN? Once I being working, I will learn more about
each type of APN, such as education or NP, and let my experience guide me from
there.)
Personality - Answers-
How do you feel working in an ethically and religiously diverse environment? - Answers-
Simply put, I will feel great working in an ethically and religiously diverse environment.
Given the fact that diversity in the US is rapidly increasing, cultural competence is a
characteristics that all clinicians will need to possess in order to provide equal, high
quality care. Therefore, working in a diverse setting or with diverse patient populations
will increase the quality of care I provide, decrease discrepancies and, overall, make me
a better nurse.
Are you a team player? Do you prefer to work alone or in teams? - Answers-I am
definitely a team player. I believe that the more minds, the better because each
individual brings their own unique skillset and approach, maximizing outcome (and you
learn more as well). Additionally, effective interdisciplinary collaboration has been
, shown to improve patient outcomes and benefit the institution as well. However, I am
capable of working independently to complete tasks that don't require multiple people.
How do you handle stress on the job? - Answers-As I have learned throughout my
nursing experiences at Penn, stress is inevitable. In high-stress situations, I always take
a step back, take a few deep breathes, and identify the cause of the stress. Depending
on the source, I approach it differently. If am overwhelmed by the amount of things I
need to do, I organize and prioritize what I need to do and complete the tasks as
efficiently as possible without compromising quality. If the source of stress is an irritable
co-worker that I don't get along with, I don't mind sitting down with the person and
asking how we can work together to do our jobs. But whatever the situation may be, my
patient is always my number one priority, letting my patient's best interests guide my
actions.
Recall a difficult situation and how you handled it. - Answers-This spring, I had just
arrived on the Heart and Vascular ICU at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and it was
my second day there and I honestly didn't know much. I was assigned a patient with
respiratory failure and they were being ventilated and sedated, as lung recovery was the
main goal. As I began to perform my safety checks and physical assessment, the nurse
I was working with told me he was going to eat and will be back. As I'm listening to his
lungs, the pump started alarming because the versed had ran out. I spent about 5
minutes looking for my nurse, he was nowhere to be found and every other nurse was
busy with their patients. I noticed a new bag was hanging, so I decided to start infusing
it, however I was unsure what dosage to run it at but I put it at 2mg, like the orders said.
However, in a few minutes, the patient became severely tachypneic and was breathing
over the vent. The nurse finally arrived and reprimanded me for changing the dosage.
Although I tried to explain the situation, he said that I shouldn't have done that and I'm
not ready to be a nurse. However, when I approached him so we can talk through it, he
confessed that he was feeling irritable for personal reasons and since that time, I always
learned to never take things personal from your co-workers because you never know
what's affecting them.
What is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it? - Answers-One past
decision I always struggle with is not immediately going to college after high school. I
am often hard on myself because I tell myself I could've been where I wanted to be
already and I wasted a lot of time. But, I learned that discovering your true calling and
passion in life isn't easy and requires serious thought and time. Now, I successfully
obtained an education and will begin my career in a field I truly love. Essentially, I
learned that I should be passionate about everything I do and to never do anything for
the wrong reasons.
How do you deal with difficult patients and/or families? - Answers-Patients and family
members are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. As a nurse, I am
there to be nothing but therapeutic, therefore I never escalate any situation. I never take
anything personal because it is not about me, it's about them. I diffuse it by actively
listening to their concerns, acknowledging their emotions and asking them what I can do
