Entry-Level Nursing Mock Interview
Practice 40 Entry-Level Nursing interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care priorities, and ethical challenges.
Question 1 of 40
What inspired you to pursue a career in the nursing field?
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Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.
Nursing is not meant for everyone, and the interviewer is asking this question to learn more about your motivation behind pursuing a career in nursing. A career in nursing can be both physically and emotionally challenging; it takes a person with compassion and a willingness to care for others in their most vulnerable states. To effectively answer this question, respond honestly, but focus on your passion for people and caring for others. A more successful answer would include a specific personal experience that inspired you to pursue nursing as a career.
Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.
"I have always wanted a career where I could help people, but when I first started college, I wasn't sure exactly what that meant. However, I was drawn to nursing after volunteering at a hospital one summer. I feel like nurses are the backbone of the clinical system; not only do they keep the system running, they provide care to patients and their family members when it counts the most. Once I decided on nursing, I never looked back, and so far, it has been one of the best decisions of my life."
Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.
"I am a career changer; I worked as a corporate accountant in the hospitality field for over a decade. However, when my mother was undergoing treatment for cancer several years ago, I was inspired to pursue a career in nursing. Seeing the nurses care for my mother so compassionately through all stages of her cancer treatment made me realize I needed to devote my career to something more meaningful. I have nothing against accounting; it is a great career, but I feel my time will be better spent caring for others instead of sitting behind a spreadsheet."
"My desire to become a nurse was two-fold. I have been inspired by the many nurses in my life and wanted a career like theirs where I could care for others every day. The other reason I wanted to pursue nursing is the variety of opportunities available to nurses. Nursing offers me the opportunity to work in an inpatient setting, an outpatient setting, in case management, informatics, and so many other areas. As a nurse, I know I will always be able to learn and grow while staying in the same field."
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Anonymous Answer
All of my life I thought I wanted to deliver babies; I used to wake up early before school when I was 7 or 8 years old to watch birth day or birth story because I was just fascinated by birth and newborns and all of it. When I started working on the postpartum unit I realized I really enjoyed everything about that population. Then during my maternity rotation, I saw that labor and delivery is a lot of waiting around. Although I loved watching the births, I found myself more interested in the baby more so than the mom. That hospital had a level 2 NICU and although it was a very small unit and I did not get to see a lot of critical babies, being in the environment and getting to see what working in a NICU is like, made me realize that that is want I want to do. I want to work in a job where I feel I am truly needed and making an impact. These babies depend on you for everything and I would be blessed to be able to make such a difference in their lives and care. I always knew I wanted to be in healthcare because I thrive on caring for others. When my uncle was in the hospital after a bicycle accident, I really saw how the nurses treated him and my family and I knew I wanted to be that for other families.
Marcie's Feedback
This is such a wonderful and genuine answer. Without a doubt, it will touch any interviewer's heart! It sounds like your personality is perfectly suited to being a NICU nurse and that it is truly a calling for you. The rest of us are lucky to have people like you in this world! :) Excellent answer!
Anonymous Answer
Believe it or not, I used to be very shy and couldn't even talk to strangers when I was little. Somehow I got a job with a paramedical company, and I worked there for a few years before becoming an RPN. I was required to see clients in their homes for insurance purposes every single day. I had to fill out health questionnaires for them, so I had to talk a lot. Soon after I started the job, I found out I enjoy talking to people. Being able to learn the different perspectives from different people was always inspiring. During my first year of employment with this company, my clients told me many times that I should be a nurse. I felt like I should be doing more than just filling out questionnaires for people, so I applied for the nursing school one year into the job. I got in and never looked back.
Chad's Feedback
Great! It sounds like you are compassionate and have a passion for helping people! The interviewer will undoubtedly be impressed with your commitment to pursue a career in nursing after a number of years of working as a registered practical nurse. I suggest avoiding the use of the word "somehow" at the beginning of your second sentence, as it may be interpreted as a lack of confidence in yourself and your abilities.
Believe it or not, I used to be very shy and couldn't even talk to strangers when I was little. I began my career with a paramedical company and worked there for a few years before becoming an RPN. In that role, I was required to see clients in their homes for insurance purposes every single day. I had to fill out health questionnaires for them, so I had to talk a lot. Soon after I started the job, I found out I enjoy talking to people. Being able to learn the different perspectives from different people was always inspiring. During my first year of employment with this company, my clients told me many times that I should be a nurse. I felt like I should be doing more than just filling out questionnaires for people, so I applied for the nursing school one year into the job. I got in and never looked back.
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