Describe your strongest non-clinical skill that will be most beneficial to you in your nursing career.
While nurses must have strong clinical skills, they must also be strong in other non-clinical areas. Strong abilities in areas such as time management, data analytics, adaptability, ethics, and communication will complement a nurse's clinical skills and make them more successful. The interviewer asks this question to learn more about the candidate's strengths related to non-clinical skills. To successfully answer this question, be honest about your skills and avoid simply telling the interviewer what you think they want to hear. After identifying your strongest non-clinical skill, explain why you feel you are strongest in the skill using real-life examples that demonstrate your strength.
"My strongest non-clinical skill is my ability to adapt to any situation. I feel like I have always been quite adaptable, but while working as a nursing assistant during nursing school, I built upon my adaptability skills. The environment was rarely the same day-to-day, and I was always doing something different. I would often be pulled to a different unit or wing to help out, which may have been difficult for someone less adaptable. Any time this happened to me, I would take it in stride and use it as an opportunity to learn."
"My strongest non-clinical skill is time management. While I was in nursing school, working and going to school full-time, I sharpened my time management skills, as I had to juggle so many things. This experience was tough at the time, but I would not do it differently because it taught me how to be extremely efficient in my work and showed me how many tasks I could effectively complete if I stayed focused and managed my time. This skill will be extremely beneficial if I get the opportunity to work with your company because I know it is a fast-paced and demanding environment."
"One of my strongest non-clinical skills is the ability to teach in a variety of ways. I've had teaching practice as a lifeguard and swim instructor, as an after-school tutor, studying with my fellow nursing students, and working with patients and families in clinicals and as a student nurse extern. I can get feedback from people as I go and adapt my teaching style to their needs. For example, if I'm verbally explaining what protein sources are available to a patient on their cardiac diet, I can use a teach-back method to see if they're following what I'm saying. If my verbal explanation doesn't work for the patient, I can bring in a written or picture explanation of protein for a cardiac diet or find a relevant video on the computer in the patient's room."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
My strongest non-clinical skill would definitely be my adaptability. While I was working as a ward clerk and personal care assistant, it helped me to adjust to an acute care setting quickly, because the working environment would change every shift. For example, during the placement, I was proactive in sourcing the equipment and materials required for a procedure from a different ward, whereas it may not even occur to a person who was less adaptable to do that.
Chad's Feedback
This is a good start! The ability to adjust to new conditions is an important and valuable skill to possess in the healthcare field. In the "Revised Answer" section, I have included a suggested way to slightly restate this response, in order to improve clarity.
My strongest non-clinical skill would definitely be my adaptability. While I was working as a ward clerk and personal care assistant, it helped me to adjust to an acute care setting quickly, because the working environment would change every shift. For example, during the placement, I was proactive in sourcing the equipment and materials required for a procedure from a different ward, whereas it may not even occur to a person who was less adaptable to do that.
Unlock all 40 Entry-Level Nursing questions
Prepare for questions nurse managers use to assess new graduate readiness.
Get Started