How to Answer: Where do you see yourself in your nursing career in ten years?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Entry-Level Nursing job interview.
7. Where do you see yourself in your nursing career in ten years?
How to Answer
This question is essential for the interviewer, as they are asking it to determine the career path you intend to pursue within the nursing profession. If you eventually want to pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist, they may not want to hire you for a position at a family medicine clinic. The interviewer is asking this question to ensure the opportunities available at their organization match your career goals. To effectively answer this question, you should be honest about how you would like to see your nursing career unfold and not merely tailor your answer to what you think the interviewer wants to hear.
Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019
1st Answer Example
"Since I enjoyed caring for the elderly patients at the nursing home while working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, I would eventually like to pursue a career as a geriatric nurse practitioner. However, I will need to obtain several years of experience in bedside nursing before I can do so. I hope to be able to go back to nursing school for my master's degree in about five years, but until then, I am looking forward to working on your geriatric unit as a floor nurse."
Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019
2nd Answer Example
"Since I am technically inclined, I hope to one day get involved in nursing informatics or quality improvement, even if it is just at the level of my unit. While I look forward to gaining entry-level nursing experience over the next few years, I hope that I will eventually be able to expand my practice to working with data and quality improvement projects."
Written by Kelly Burlison on July 16th, 2019
3rd Answer Example
"I have always enjoyed teaching people, like when I taught swim lessons in high school. In ten years, I would love to be a nurse educator, working with nursing students as they start their careers. To get to that point, I will need lots of clinical experience as a bedside nurse. In five or so years, I want to return to school to obtain my Master's degree in nursing to work toward my goal of being a nursing instructor."
Written by Kate Buckley on December 21st, 2022
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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