How to Answer: Have you ever been disciplined or asked to resign from a nursing position?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nursing job interview.
40. Have you ever been disciplined or asked to resign from a nursing position?
How to Answer
Although it may seem to be best to avoid answering this question directly, it's always best to provide an explanation why a previous position went awry. Nursing takes pride in being voted the 'most ethical profession' so it's not a great idea to start a career with a new employer being evasive. This is not a time to overexplain or underexplain the reason. A simple explanation will do. It's not the time to cast dispersions or blame onto others as in 'everybody who works there runs away screaming.' Own your version of the truth is the most direct and matter of fact way without denigrating or blaming others. You may not get the job for being transparent, but getting the job under false pretenses isn't right either.
Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019
1st Entry Level Example
"I've just recently graduated and passed my NCLEX, so I have not experienced a time in my nursing career where I have been disciplined or asked to resign. Prior to nursing school, I worked a couple of jobs in retail and food services, and I never had any performance issues or concerns from my leaders."
Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022
1st Experienced Example
"Yes, I have. I resigned from Homeward Bound Rehabilitation facility after a meeting in with my nursing leadership. I expressed concern over the short staffing on our unit on several occasions and also advocated for additional training if we were asked to take on extremely medically compromised patients or be pulled to another unit. It was my belief that my nurse manager did not address my concerns that patient care was jeopardized. I told her that it was really important to me that the unit was staffed completely and that I did not feel that I could practice safely if it wasn't. She told me that there's a nursing shortage and to deal with it. I reported her comments and refusal to address persistent shift shortages and low staff morale to leadership which created an awkward meeting. My nurse manager felt that I went over her head and that it was unprofessional. I countered that I expressed my concern on at least 4 occasions and felt unsafe and unheard. My departure was mutually agreed on. I liked my job there a lot, but I still think that it was an unsafe patient environment. I did have the opportunity to identify new ways to handle issues such as putting them in writing, asking the manager to listen when she was not overwhelmed herself, and possibly providing solutions along with my concerns."
Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019
2nd Experienced Example
"Unfortunately, I have received a write-up in the past for being late. It was about ten years ago, and at the time, I was fresh out of college, and my vehicle was unreliable. I was having a lot of car trouble, and it would break down frequently, which caused me to be late. I would notify my supervisor immediately when I was going to be late, but they had a strict attendance policy. Thankfully, I was able to save up for a new vehicle, and that solved my issues of being tardy. I've never received any disciplinary action since then!"
Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022
3rd Experienced Example
"Unfortunately yes I have had to resign from a nursing position. I had experienced significant workplace bullying from physicians within a group. When I took these concerns to my direct manager, I was told they would be monitored. It continued to happen, and so I addressed it again with my manager, but again nothing changed. I then reached out to my department's HR representative. She had a one-on-one meeting with me but said that my manager should handle it. After much thought, I felt it was best to resign as I did not feel it was a safe, conducive working environment."
Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023
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