MockQuestions

Entry-Level Nursing Mock Interview

Question 29 of 40 for our Entry-Level Nursing Mock Interview

Entry-Level Nursing was updated by on December 21st, 2022. Learn more here.

Question 29 of 40

What was the most challenging part of your nursing education?

Nursing school at any level is a very challenging endeavor. Students often struggle with various parts of their nursing education, such as learning to create care plans, but they may also struggle with the workload itself. The interviewer asks this question to determine if you can identify your greatest challenge while pursuing your nursing education. When answering this question, you should be honest about your struggles while pursuing your education and specify what challenged you the most. A successful answer to this question would include a summary of what challenged you and specific details regarding how you overcame the challenge.

Next Question

How to Answer: What was the most challenging part of your nursing education?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Entry-Level Nursing job interview.

  • 29. What was the most challenging part of your nursing education?

      How to Answer

      Nursing school at any level is a very challenging endeavor. Students often struggle with various parts of their nursing education, such as learning to create care plans, but they may also struggle with the workload itself. The interviewer asks this question to determine if you can identify your greatest challenge while pursuing your nursing education. When answering this question, you should be honest about your struggles while pursuing your education and specify what challenged you the most. A successful answer to this question would include a summary of what challenged you and specific details regarding how you overcame the challenge.

      Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019

      1st Answer Example

      "The greatest challenge I faced in nursing school was learning how to create an effective care plan. Some of my classmates mastered this with ease, but I struggled. It seemed no matter how much work I put into the care plans I created, they were always wrong. At one point, I thought I had to change my major because of my difficulty with care plans. But, instead of giving up, I put in extra work, met with my professor, got extra help from a teaching assistant, and soon, I was able to master care plans as well."

      Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019

      2nd Answer Example

      "Being an older student and a career changer, the most difficult part of nursing school for me was balancing the full-time job, my full-time courseload, and my family obligations at home. It was a challenging few years, and I sometimes wondered if I could do it for the long haul. However, when I felt like giving up, I would recenter myself and refocus on my goals, and that would give me the motivation I needed to carry on."

      Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019

      3rd Answer Example

      "The greatest challenge in my nursing education was retaining cellular function concepts like the sodium-potassium pump and cellular respiration. I'm not sure why it took me extra work to grasp these concepts; maybe it was because it was hard to relate them directly to patient care. I attended extra study sessions offered by my professor and studied in small groups with my fellow students to understand the material. In the end, I passed those portions of my class and moved on to my next courses."

      Written by Kate Buckley on December 21st, 2022

      Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback

      Anonymous Answer

      "The most challenging part of my nursing education was learning how to study and do well on nursing exams. It was really an eye-opening experience because the nursing tests are not what I was used to at all. It took me a couple of semesters to really figure out my studying techniques and how to properly study and be able to achieve the best grade possible."

      Marcie's Feedback

      Great answer! It's good that you discuss how over time you adapted and learned how to study more effectively so you could do well on the exams. This will show the interviewer that you are adaptable, persistent, and resilient. Nice! You might consider offering a brief explanation too of how the nursing exams differed from other exams you'd taken in your life (I'm curious myself!)
      Show More Answers
  • About the Author

    I began my healthcare career when I was a sophomore in high school and became an STNA (state-tested nursing assistant) at a local long-term care facility. I then went on to work as a nursing assistant at a local hospital and home healthcare agency. During that time, I pursued my Bachelor's in Business Administration: Human Resource Management and transitioned to working for one of the largest long-term care and post-acute rehab companies in the country. I supported the talent acquisition function and in the span of 8 years, I screened and interviewed over 1,500 nurse aides, LPNs, and RNs.

    I hold a very special place in my heart for nurses, as it's often a thankless and tiresome job. Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse and I have great respect and admiration for those that choose this career path. As a content writer and interview coach for MockQuestions, my goal is to help you prepare and succeed in your upcoming interview. This article offers interview tips and advice along with 40 practice interview questions and answer examples to help you better understand what to expect and prepare for interview day! Wishing you the best of luck!

    Learn more about Jaymie Payne