Nursing Mock Interview
Practice 50 Nursing interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care priorities, and ethical decision-making.
Question 42 of 50
How much supervision do you want or need in your role as a new nurse in a new position?
How to Answer
Entry Level 1
Experienced 1
Entry Level 2
Experienced 2
Community Answers
Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.
This is a tricky one so think it through and be prepared to give an answer that illustrates that you are 'coachable' without being too dependent or needy, but also that you are confident and competent without being arrogant or a management nightmare. The employer wants the best of both worlds so be prepared to describe your competency, initiative, and willingness to both ask for and receive supervision and direction.
Ryan Brown created and launched MockQuestions in 2008.
"I think it depends on the length of orientation I receive for the position. I am confident that I bring a level of competency to the position with my past experience, but every unit is different. I can be a self-starter with minimal supervision with regular cardiac catheter patients but would like access to supervision with more complicated patients. And I always appreciate supervision and critique from nursing leadership to learn and be better."
Jaymie Payne is passionate about talent acquistion and has nine years of experience in corporate and healthcare recruitment.
"Because of my experience and background in this setting, I am able to work autonomously. I understand I would need some training and onboarding to learn the organization's ways, but after that, I will be a reliable and self-starting employee. I appreciate having a manager who provides feedback, is engaged, and offers support to the team. I work well with others, but I'm also disciplined and can manage myself well, but I also ask questions when I need advice, and I go to my manager when I need support or have concerns about a situation."
Jaymie Payne is passionate about talent acquistion and has nine years of experience in corporate and healthcare recruitment.
"During my initial onboarding and orientation period, I would expect to have oversight and a supervisor as I learn the processes and day-to-day of the unit. If there is limited oversight, I can work well in that scenario too, I would just be vocal and communicate with my manager when I felt I needed an extra level of support or supervision with a patient or treatment. As I settle in, I would expect the supervision would become less and less as I instilled trust in my manager with my competency but would still expect and appreciate regular feedback and support as needed."
Tabitha Cumpian is an RN Lead with experience in multiple clinic specialties and has functioned as a program manager.
"I am flexible with the amount of supervision I receive initially. Since I am a seasoned nurse, I am able to work independently fairly quickly. I would like to have some supervision initially to learn the department's workflow, but then after that, I am comfortable being independent. I love learning so if I get to a point where I am unsure of something I will always ask to make sure that I understand the process for the department correctly so I can learn and that I am always keeping my patients safe."
Write Your Answer
0 - Character Count
Anonymous Answer
I really want more like 4 months.
Cindy's Feedback
This question is seeking information about what kind of manager you work with best. Do you do a better job when you have a lot of input or are you more of an independent worker? Is your style flexible? Can you accommodate any management style?
Unlock All 50 Nursing Questions
Unlock expert responses to clinical judgment and patient safety questions that interviewers prioritize.
Get StartedJump to Question
