How to Answer: Do you have nursing management or leadership goals?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nursing job interview.
32. Do you have nursing management or leadership goals?
How to Answer
Even if you do not have any clearly defined management or leadership goals or are trapped in the thought pattern that management equals charge nurse, have a well-thought out answer to this question prepared. All nurses should have clear leadership goals, because at any given moment you may be in charge of a code, a shift, a unit, or a patient's changing condition. Even if you do not aspire to run the hospital, you must know how to lead yourself and run your shift. Interviewers are seeking candidates who can take charge when necessary, and to do this well the individual must know how to lead themselves and others.
Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019
1st Entry Level Example
"Right now I do not have any clear management goals as I have recently graduated from nursing school. I am very interested in learning about management and leadership and would be interested in any committees that I could participate in and learn. I have lots of ideas, and would love to be in a brainstorming group and I am very interested in the management dynamics of the organization. I feel that I need to focus on being a new nurse right now but I am definitely open to joining leadership groups to learn and meet new people."
Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019
1st Experienced Example
"I have been a nurse for several years and have held some supervisory duties from time to time. While I don't mind being a people manager, I really prefer teaching and mentoring. I have found that I enjoy mentoring students in clinical rotations and also new grad nurses. I always feel rewarded by being a SME that the team can come to when they need technical support on our platforms and equipment and also in areas of processes and procedures."
Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022
2nd Experienced Example
"I have worked as a floor RN, and in recent months I have stepped into a supervisor role from time to time when there are supervisor call-outs. I would like to move into a more full-time supervisory role with goals of eventually becoming a unit manager. I enjoy leading others, improving processes that impact patient care, providing staff education, and doing clinical admin tasks. I don't want to get away from patient care completely, so a supervisory role would provide a good balance of patient care and people leadership as I continue to pursue my goals."
Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022
3rd Experienced Example
"In the past, I have worked as a nursing supervisor. I greatly enjoyed this role because it gave me the opportunity to oversee many nurses and help to gather a big picture of my unit and areas for possible growth and work process improvements. In the future, I hope to be able to use the skills I learned from that position here as well."
Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
Cindy's Feedback
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 50 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