MockQuestions

Nursing Mock Interview

50 Questions Created By

To help you prepare for your Nursing interview, here are 50 interview questions and answer examples.

First Question

50 Nursing Interview Questions

20 Interview Questions With Sample Answers

1.   How have you responded when your supervisor asked you to work an additional shift to fill vacancies?

How to Answer

Any nurse knows that one of the downsides to the career is the need for coverage on most units 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. There may be times when you are asked to alter your schedule or pick up additional shifts to fill for vacancies in the work schedule. Due to being shorthanded, you may also be asked to stay for longer hours on your current shift. Working as a cohesive team is important among fellow nurses in a department and they need to be willing to help each other out when needed. As well, it is important for you to be open and honest about your availability and for you to ensure that the job you are interviewing for fits your schedule.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"As a new nurse entering the workforce, I will be more than willing to pick up extra shifts and work extra hours when needed. I am very eager to work with and learn from as many experienced nurses as I can and this would enable me to do that. Through college, I worked in the student center book store and I picked up any extra shifts that my school schedule allowed me to. There, covering the schedule was a team effort and we had to be in constant communication due to us all being full-time students."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Entry Level Example

"Since I am just now finishing my nursing program and am a newly licensed nurse, I have not yet encountered this situation; however, I am very eager to learn and am willing to cover extra shifts when needed. Before my career change into nursing, I worked in the business/IT industry, and I often had to pull long days with many hours, so I am used to going above and beyond the standard work week in order to get the job done. As a nurse, my priority will be caring for our patients, and I will pitch in and help however I can in order to ensure they are cared for."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"I know that working as an obstetrics nurse on 12-hour shifts that teamwork and helping cover for each other is important. In my current position, we have policies on notification for paid time off, shift swapping and calling in sick. I have been open to help cover extra shifts when needed and staying over for some extra time on shifts as long as I have some notice because I need to make childcare arrangements for our little one."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"Through my career as a nurse, all units that I worked on functioned as a cohesive team and this was very important when it came to covering shifts. Just recently, I was working day shifts on my unit when we were notified that two of the evening shift nurses came down with the flu. Being down a couple of nurses due to turnover, my supervisor made calls to those on night shift to see if two people could split the shifts and work 12 hours. I volunteered to stay over four extra hours without hesitation and when two night shift nurses stepped up as well, we had the unit covered for the evening."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"As a seasoned nurse, I have experienced this on several occasions in the past. I do have children so I first have needed to ensure I have child care but then I have always been happy to pick up and work additional shifts. I feel that as a healthcare team, we must be willing to work together to cover shift needs so that our patients are always cared for in the best possible way."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

2.   We are interviewing several candidates for this position. Why should we hire you?

How to Answer

Often one of the final questions during the interview, this is your final chance to sell yourself to the interviewer on why you are the best candidate for the job. This is a good question for you to have a prepared, but not rehearsed answer where you can talk about the skills you bring to the table and how they will benefit the organization and the patients. As well, you can discuss your personal traits that you feel put you above the competition for the position.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"Pursuing a nursing career has been a passion of mine since I was a young girl. As I made my way through nursing school, my dream of becoming a nurse developed into a passion for helping those patients that are in need of psychiatric help. I know that your psychiatric inpatient unit requires a nurse that is both compassionate and able to handle a large patient load on any given day. You'll find that my past work experience and references will point out that I am a go-getter who can handle a large workload while providing excellent care to my patients."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Entry Level Example

"Although I am sure you are interviewing more experienced candidates, I feel that I am the best candidate for this position. I left a successful career in IT project management to become a nurse, which proves that I have a passion for nursing and am committed to the profession. Also, in addition to my newly acquired nursing skills, I have a host of IT, data, project management, and informatics skills that I can bring to the table and add to the team. I am not sure, but I doubt you will find another candidate with such a diverse skill set."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"Throughout my career as a nurse, I have demonstrated that patient care is a top priority in any job that I have held. It has always been my dream to work on an obstetrics unit and I know that everything that I have worked for in my career has brought me here, speaking with you. My compassion and drive to succeed in this position make me the top person for this job and you'll find quickly that I will be a top contributing member of your obstetrics nursing team."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"As a nurse who has worked over 20 years in the field, I have developed many skills in my time working in family practice, urgent care and general surgery. These skills will translate well into your emergency setting. You'll find that I'm a very patient centered nurse who is driven to be the best that I can be each and every day that I report for duty. Being a successful nurse requires this drive to succeed along with a passion for the craft and without those traits, I wouldn't be the nurse that I am today."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Answer Example

"As an experienced nurse, I am very organized and dependable. I have worked in many settings throughout my nursing career and have had the opportunity to work with very experienced nurses. This has been incredibly helpful as I grew over the years because these experienced nurses were such amazing mentors. They helped to show me from the very beginning of my career the value and importance of being part of a team. That is now one of the traits that I pride myself on, being a team player. Caring for some patients can be quite complex, and I truly believe we must be willing to work together as a team and help one another provide the best care."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

3.   Describe your typical relationship with physicians you work with.

How to Answer

As a nurse, you have a working relationship with several physicians. This question will enable you to showcase your relationship with the physicians that you have worked with and what your communication style is. As a nurse, building trust with physicians is important as well so some examples of how you've built that trust can be beneficial.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"During my clinical rotations, I had the chance to work with and relate to many different physicians. By getting to work with and learn from so many different physicians, I obtained a much greater understanding for what they are looking for in a great nurse and how I can better work with them to treat our patients. At first, I was intimidated by the fact I'd be working directly with a doctor, but after communicating and working with them, I look forward to building more of these relationships with my first employer as a nurse."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"During my career, I've taken great pride in being able to communicate and relate to the physicians that I have worked with. Together, we ultimately work as a team to provide the best care that we can for each patient and our working relationship is key in accomplishing this goal."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"In my time as a dialysis nurse, I have worked with many Nephrologists in direct patient care. As the first contact with the patient, it was my duty to communicate any changes in patient conditions to the Nephrologist and I never hesitated to so. Over my career, I took great pride to get to know how each physician prefers my communication and working style to be with them and I was able to tailor my approach for specific physicians that had particular preferences."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"I pride myself in the fact that I am able to develop and maintain very professional relationships with the physicians I work with. As I nurse, I am part of the care team, but I look to the physicians I work with for orders and for guidance. While there are times that I must bring various things to their attention and ask questions in a professional manner, I do not blatantly challenge the decisions physicians have made like I have seen some of my nursing colleagues do in the past. Also, when it comes to dealing with difficult physician personalities, I never take any difficult encounters personally. I recognize that physicians are typically under a significant amount of pressure and stress and if their emotions run high because of this, I do not need to add stress to their lives by complicating the situation."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with many physicians with varying personalities. I have always communicated in a clear, friendly, and professional manner. I believe we are both part of the same healthcare team and ultimately we are here to help the patients return to a state of health. I always want to ensure I am doing my part to make that happen and for me, it begins with having clear communication with the physician."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

4.   How will you promote a culture of teamwork and collaboration?

How to Answer

Many healthcare companies promote teamwork and collaboration as core values. As a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse on the team, you will work alongside other nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, and other clinical care providers. Describe ways that you promote teamwork and collaboration in the workplace and how you will contribute to supporting these core values.

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

1st Entry Level Example

"During clinicals, I promoted a sense of teamwork by being willing to help others, whether it was helping them lift or ambulate a patient or helping them understand a process when documenting a patient's status. It's important for those you work with to know that you can be trusted and relied upon if they need help. Communication is another way I will promote collaboration. Sharing patient updates, messages from physicians or other clinicians, family requests, etc., is essential when working with a multidisciplinary team to promote the best patient care and outcomes."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

1st Experienced Example

"I'm used to working short-staffed, so if there is a time my patient volume is down or I'm caught up with my tasks, the first thing I do is approach my coworkers to see if they need assistance or support. Perhaps a nurse is behind on a med pass, or there are ten call lights on in the hall. I'm happy to jump in and support others so that we're working together to make sure all patients are cared for, no matter who they are assigned to on the shift. I promote teamwork and collaboration by setting the example for other staff members."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

2nd Experienced Example

"In my last position, I was part of a diverse interdisciplinary clinical team, so I am accustomed to working with nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, and specialists. My communication skills promote teamwork and collaboration through active listening, setting clear expectations, relaying accurate and up-to-date information on patients, and a tone of positivity. I always support my colleagues when they need help catching up on documentation or if they need help passing medications to patients. I encourage others to help one another and lend a hand and I keep a positive attitude as I find that's often contagious!"

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

1st Answer Example

"I promote teamwork and collaboration by example. Whenever I have my tasks caught up, I always check in with my fellow coworkers and teammates to see if anyone needs help with any care for their patients. This includes asking both the nurses and nursing assistants. I also always work to stay in tune with my surroundings. For instance, if I still have tasks to be completed but it seems that someone else is busier or has multiple urgent needs I then prioritize what I may be able to help team members with while also ensuring my own tasks are completed on time."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

5.   What was your least favorite patient? What was the situation.

How to Answer

Any experienced nurse has had to deal with a patient that was unruly, untruthful or just downright mean. For this question, be sure to provide a specific time where you had to handle a patient like this, how you handled the situation and what the final outcome was. The interviewer is looking for you to stay calm, cool and collected despite wanting to fight back.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"While not experiencing this type of patient directly during my clinical experiences during nursing school, I did encounter a few angry customers during my time working as a waiter through college. One particular customer became upset that I had brought him a different soda than he ordered. Where most customers would have simply asked nicely, he loudly proclaimed to the entire establishment that I was a poor waiter that couldn't get an order right. Knowing that his anger obviously stemmed from much more than a wrong soda, I simply apologized and returned with the correct order for him. My boss said I handled the situation properly and made sure that I put his meal on the house's tab for the day."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"I had an elderly patient who was struggling to maintain their independence, but suffering from dementia while recovering from a broken hip. They were resistant at times when they needed to take medicine, so I learned how to talk to them and involve their family member in order to encourage them to do the things they needed for care."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"During my time as a family practice nurse, I had seen several patients that were abusing prescription pain pills. One patient, in particular, became very upset with me when the physician would not prescribe more pain medication to the patient after I checked her medical record and realized that a pain specialist had just done so the week prior with a full month's prescription. Fearing that the patient may become violent, I brought another male nurse into the room and I calmly explained to her why more medication couldn't be prescribed. The conversation led to a discussion on abuse of pain medications and the dangers of the abuse. The patient left our clinic that day with educational brochures in hand about pain medicine abuse."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"To date, most of my experience has been working in outpatient family practice clinics, and the most frustrating patients for me are the ones who have no clinical experience or scientific education but question every recommendation the clinicians make because of 'research' they have conducted on the internet. I understand that everyone's opinions are valid and all patients are allowed to ask questions, but the patients who think they know more than the doctors I work with because of a blog they have read on the internet are very frustrating to me. Last flu season, when the virus was at epidemic levels, I had a patient who not only refused the vaccine but was telling me the vaccine caused the flu. I know this is clinically and scientifically impossible, but rather than becoming combative with her, I calmly presented her with the facts and allowed her to make her own decision, which ultimately was to deny herself the vaccine, but I did what I could."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"I once was caring for a young adult patient who was admitted due to a sickle cell crisis. When the patient asked for another dose of pain medication, I had to inform him that at that time I could not give him any because it was too early according to the current orders. I tried then to ask questions about the pain to gather more information and determine if perhaps I needed to contact the physician for new orders. The patient became very angry at me for not giving him pain medication when he asked and proceeded to yell at me. It was very frustrating, but I remained calm and didn't take his actions or words personally. I explained to him why I was asking the questions about his pain and would be happy to call the physician with an update and see if there were any other pain treatment options available. It took awhile, but I was finally able to gather information from the patient and contact the physician to discuss new potential orders."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

6.   How do you approach the documentation of patient records? Do you have specific strategies that you use?

How to Answer

Documentation of clinical encounters in patient records is extremely important and much of this responsibility rests on the shoulders of the nursing staff. If clinical encounters, medications, procedures, vital signs, and other information is not documented properly, unintended consequences could occur, some being dire. The interviewer is asking this question to determine how seriously the candidate takes documentation and to determine if they use any methods to improve efficiencies for documentation. To effectively answer this question, the candidate should talk about how they approach documentation, from beginning to end and give examples of any strategies they use to improve efficiency.

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I am new to nursing, as I just finished nursing school, but I understand how important clinical documentation is. During my clinical rotations, when I had the opportunity to document my clinical encounters, I made sure to document everything, and before signing the note, I would double-check to ensure everything was correct. Since I am new to this and have not had a chance to develop my own efficiencies, I cannot speak to that, but I can say that my background in IT project management will allow me to think outside the box, and I can see myself coming up with ideas for standardization that others may not ever think of."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"Documentation can be hard, especially on the days when I am extremely busy and I feel like I hardly have time to give basic care to my patients. While I know that I have to fill out the clinic notes completely, I also do not always have time to complete the full note at the patient bedside. What I will do is fill out the basic information and save the note so I can go back and edit it later. Then, when I have time later in the day, I will go back and complete the note using the shorthand notes that I left myself in the medical record."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

2nd Experienced Example

"Working in a pediatric outpatient clinic, what I spent the most of my time on is documenting vaccines that were administered. This is not just the case for me, but all my pediatric nursing colleagues at work, we were spending a significant amount of time documenting vaccines. There were instances of other nurses taking shortcuts to save time, but these shortcuts did not include all the required information. Since this was such a big issue, I was always trying to find ways to help us streamline the vaccine documentation process, and one day, as I stood in the vaccine room, I came up with an idea of scanning the barcodes on the vaccines and them going straight into the medical record. While this idea took a long time to execute and a lot of work, I was able to work with our EHR and IT staff at our company to make this happen and it has freed up a significant amount of time for all pediatric nurses."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

3rd Experienced Example

"Several years ago, when I first started working in outpatient adult medicine, I found that I was spending a significant amount of time writing clinic notes, and many days, I was writing the same things repeatedly. I know how important clinical documentation is, for everything from clinical decision-making to quality reporting, so I knew I needed to write thorough records. So, to help myself save time, I wrote out templates that included the basic information for different types of visits, such as sick visit, well visit, diabetes follow up, and senior visit, and saved them on WordPad so I could copy the information into the EHR. Now, when one of these patients comes in for an appointment, I am able to copy in the template and fill in the blanks. This process saves me a significant amount of time and my documentation is of good quality."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"When I begin documenting I always think about how I can chart everything that happened in the most comprehensive yet concise way. I prefer to use flowsheets when the EHR has them available. Then, unless specified by the organization, I always chart by exception. I feel this makes documenting more efficient. I document as much as I can by exception and with the flowsheets. If I need to document something that does not easily or smoothly fit into a flowsheet, then I will add a nursing note. I have found that this process has streamlined my documentation."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

7.   Tell me about your experience supervising or mentoring other nurses.

How to Answer

In the profession of nursing, there is much opportunity for nurses to mentor their peers or advance into leadership positions where they will supervise their colleagues. The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's experience in mentorship and/or supervision to determine how these skills could potentially be utilized at your organization. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should provide an example of a time in which they supervised their colleagues or mentored another nursing professional. If the candidate does not experience supervising or mentoring other nurses, a supervision or mentorship experience in another setting would suffice.

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I just recently finished nursing school, so I have not yet had the opportunity to formally supervise or mentor other nurses in a professional position. However, since I was a career changer and went back to nursing school after I had an established career, many of my peers in school were younger than me, and they looked up to me for advice. Because I believe in helping others, I helped these academic colleagues and mentored them while we were in school and while we were doing our clinical rotations. While this mentorship experience is not directly connected to a job, I feel like I will be able to use this experience at your organization."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"Throughout my nursing career, I have held a couple of supervisory positions, in which I supervised entire teams of nurses, and was responsible for hiring and firing, scheduling, and ensuring everyone was able to grow and achieve their goals. While I am willing to take on these types of positions, I do not prefer them; however, I do enjoy mentoring young nurses who are recent graduates of nursing school. Many experienced nurses are threatened by new nurses, but I enjoy taking them under my wing and helping them grow, and I hope there are opportunities to mentor new nurses at your organization if I have the opportunity to join your team."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

2nd Experienced Example

"While I am not seeking a supervisory position at this point in my career, I have over fifteen years of experience supervising nursing teams. Because of my experience with creating schedules, coaching employees, addressing performance issues, and handling other supervisory responsibilities, I am able and willing to fill in for the current supervisor when needed. I am always willing to use my supervisory skills to help out when needed, but because of personal obligations, right now, I am not interested in taking on a full-time supervisory role."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

3rd Experienced Example

"I have not yet held a supervisory position in nursing as of yet, but I have mentored many of my colleagues when they first join the team. Mentoring has been one of the greatest joys of my career, and it has been an absolute pleasure seeing my mentees find their own success in their careers. One of my mentees, Marie, just applied for a new job within the company and obtained a supervisory position, and I couldn't be happier for her! Because I have been so successful at mentoring others, I think I would be a great supervisor, and I hope that there are opportunities to move into a supervisory role one day at your organization."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"Throughout my career so far, I have not held a supervisory position. However, I have mentored fellow coworkers. I was the primary preceptor for a very specialized outpatient department. After walking new hires through a rigorous orientation program, there was still consistent learning that occurred every day. Although team members were officially considered independent, I remained their mentor as they continued learning a little more each day. At the beginning of each orientation, I always worked to develop a good rapport with my coworker so that they felt comfortable working with me and would be willing to ask questions so they could learn."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

8.   Are you able to handle the physical requirement of the job?

How to Answer

The nursing profession can be physically demanding. Standing and walking for long stretches, assisting in lifting patients and staying awake for odd hours and long periods of time are some of the physical demands of the job. For the position that you are interviewing for, make sure to research what the physical demands are for the job and point out how you are able to handle those tasks. It can also be beneficial to discuss your self-care methods because being a nurse often requires being in great

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"I know that as I enter a nursing career, I will be asked to do some pretty extreme physical activity. Lifting patients and standing for long hours at a time comes easy to me as I've participate in sports all the way through high school and continued this through college. Being in great shape and eating healthy is a lifestyle choice that I have made and it will definitely help me in my nursing career moving forward."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Entry Level Example

"One of the reasons I chose to change my career from a desk-job to nursing is so I would be more physically active and would not have to sit all day. My previous career in business was a marathon in sitting, so I am looking forward to the active and strenuous environment that my new career in nursing will offer. While I know that the physical activity that I have endured during my clinical training in nursing school is nothing compared to the physical work I will endure as a full-time nurse, I have enjoyed the physical nature of the job. In order to prepare myself for full-time nursing, I have been getting myself into shape, been using a standing desk, and ensuring that I get at least 45-minutes of cardiovascular activity on a daily basis."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"Through my nursing career, I have spent many long hours on my feet and working shifts at non-traditional times. To be able to do this with ease, I have worked hard to be in the best physical shape that I can be by jogging on a regular basis, eating healthy and getting ample amounts of sleep each and every night."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"In my nursing career, I have always handled the physical requirements of the job with ease. Before lift systems were standard in inpatient rooms, we physically lifted patients into and out of their beds when needed. The long hours and standing for long periods of time come easily to me as well. I realized early in my career that I needed to care for myself and my physical well-being outside of work and I continue to do this to this day."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"I am accustomed to the physical demands and requirements that nursing has. Over my years as a nurse, I have learned the importance and value of self-care for my overall health. I maintain a regular exercise routine so that my body is physically ready to work and so that my mind has the chance to rest and recover from what can be at times stressful days."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

9.   Tell me about an experience when you had to use ACLS, BLS, or PALS protocols in your nursing practice.

How to Answer

The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's knowledge and skill level of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Basic Life Support (BLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) protocols. Every nurse, at a minimum, should be trained in ACLS and BLS, and depending on their work environment, they should also be trained in PALS. This training includes a set of clinical interventions for the urgent treatment of cardiac arrest, stroke, and other life-threatening emergencies, as well as knowledge and skills to execute those interventions. The candidate's ability to effectively respond to a crisis using appropriate life support interventions directly correlates to patient outcomes. To effectively answer this question, the candidate should articulate their knowledge of life support protocols and describe how they have used them in the past.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"Part of my nursing training was to become certified in both ACLS and BLS, and I am interested in becoming certified in PALS as well; however, I have not yet encountered a patient situation where I have had to utilize these life-saving skills. While I have never had experience utilizing these skills, with the training that I received, I am very confident that I will be able to properly execute the protocols. I take my responsibility as a nurse very seriously, and when it is time for me to provide life support measures, I will be ready to do so with confidence and skill."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Entry Level Example

"I am a relatively new nurse, as I have only had my license for two years. However, I am certified in BLS, ACLS, and PALS. Fortunately, I haven't had too many experiences in the outpatient clinic where I have had to administer life support to patients, but there was one situation where I had to utilize my PALS skills. A young couple with a newborn with pertussis, or whooping cough, had brought their baby to the clinic instead of the ER, and the baby stopped breathing and turned blue while in the waiting room. Once I was alerted of this, I had the front desk call a code and I immediately responded to the family and began resuscitation efforts on the newborn. By the time the paramedics arrived to take the baby to the hospital, he was breathing on his own again, so our efforts in the clinic likely prevented him from dying in our waiting room."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"I am very familiar with all the life support protocols that you mentioned and have used all of them in my nursing career, but most recently, while working in pediatrics, I have used PALS most often. I actually had to initiate PALS protocols while working on my unit earlier this week, when a young patient unexpectedly coded. While we waited for our hospitalist physician to arrive on our unit to help us with the response, I led the nursing team in giving the patient CPR and determining which meds were needed to stabilize them until the physician arrived. If I had not taken action and properly followed PALS protocols, the patient would have died, but because of the appropriate action I did take, they are expected to be discharged later this week."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"I have been ACLS and BLS certified for many years and have had to use my skills in these life support methods many times when patients were in distress. While I have never worked directly with pediatric patients and have never been required to be PALS certified, I am confident that I would be able to effectively execute such protocols when necessary, if I receive proper training. Because I have been a practicing nurse for so many years, I have been required to use my advanced life support skills many times, including recently when a patient I was triaging in the emergency department went into full cardiac arrest. After I pressed the emergency button, which alerted my colleagues of an emergency, I immediately got the patient onto the floor and started CPR until my attending physician could get there. Even after my attending got there to take the lead, I continued to assist, and we were able to revive the patient and get them stabilized."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"Working on higher acuity level units in my career has required that I become very familiar and comfortable using my BLS and ACLS skills. I once witnessed a frail patient aspirate during their breakfast. Although I was not the primary nurse for this patient, I was the closest at the time the patient aspirated and was able to jump into action quickly to help them. The patient's airway was compromised, and he began desaturating quickly. I promptly called for help and requested a rapid response be initiated. While another nurse initiated the rapid response call, I began supporting the person's airway. Unfortunately, the person declined rapidly, and I had to initiate CPR. Once the full team arrived, we rotated who was giving compressions to prevent fatigue, and because of our quick response time and working together seamlessly we were able to revive the patient and promptly transfer him to ICU."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

10.   Talk about a time you had to communicate a complicated medical issue to a patient or their family. How did you go about relaying the message?

How to Answer

Years of nursing school and clinical experience give nurses a lot of medical knowledge. But to most patients and family members on a clinical visit or hospital stay, medical terminology is like a foreign language. Because of this, nurses need to have conversations with patients in a manner that the patient and/or family will understand and be able to make informed decisions if needed.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"During my clinical rotations as a pediatric nurse, we had a young girl come in with severe pain in her ear and head. After my initial check on her, I noticed she had some severe congestion in her ear and nasal cavities likely causing the pain. Prior to the doctor coming in and noticing she was very nervous, I used the metaphor that her ears and nose were like a cave and bad monsters had gotten into the cave. I explained to her that the doctor needed to look at the monsters to be able to give her the right medicine to get rid of the monsters in the cave and clear the way again. With that said, she was in a giggling mood and sat nicely for the doctor to fully check her out."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"As an emergency nurse, we had a young patient come in one day that had been a passenger in a bad car accident. Due to the injuries that he sustained, he was left with a leg that was badly broken and bleeding badly as well. Upon initial triage, the doctor thought there would be a chance the young patient would lose his leg to amputation to save his life if the surgery didn't go as planned. The boy's father was in the accident as well and was being treated and the mother showed up to the ER shortly after they arrived at our facility and she was obviously in a panicked state. Knowing that we would be rushing her son to surgery, I calmly sat with her in the waiting room to explain the injuries to his leg and that the bleeding was very bad. Rather than using medical terms, I simplified the conversation to her level of knowledge so that she understood the importance of the surgery and what could happen if the surgeon wasn't able to stop the bleeding. By having an understanding of the situation, the mother was able to calm down and think clearly."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"In my time as a rehabilitation nurse, I worked with patients that spanned a wide array of physical ailments. When it came to working with patients with joint issues, my team obviously knew the medical terminology for the femur, tibia, ulna, radius and so forth. When talking about specific bones, joints and muscles with patients, I always made sure to point out where each was on their body and talked about how each part functions. Using this method, patients were better able to understand how their body worked and why their rehab processes were important to their overall health."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"Working in the emergency department, I encounter patients with a variety of conditions, some very simple, and some very complicated and sometimes life-threatening. Not too long ago, we had a young patient come in with a minor blunt facial injury, but soon after she arrived bacteria from the wound perforated the sinus cavity, which was punctured, and spread into the patient's brain. The patient went from arriving needing stitches and an X-ray to being in a life-threatening situation that required a transfer to intensive care. This was a lot for the child's family members to take in, so after the physician gave them a broad overview of what happened, I sat with the family and went over their child's condition again, in less technical terms, and took time to answer their questions. This helped the family understand what was happening, as they were very confused and shocked by the situation."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"I once had a patient who had multiple pulmonary embolisms and had to be started on an IV drip. The physician came in and explained to the patient the imaging results using medical terms. I could tell when the physician left that the patient and spouse were overwhelmed with the information and were not completely sure what all the words meant. I then took the time to sit with them and explain to them essentially what the doctor just had but without the use of medical terms. Instead, I provided all the information and education to them in laymen's terms. This helped them both to understand what the imaging showed and what the next steps would be in the treatment process. They were very grateful for the additional time spent and education given to them."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

11.   How much supervision do you want or need in your role as a new nurse in a new position?

How to Answer

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.

Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"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."

Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019

2nd Entry Level Example

"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."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

1st Experienced Example

"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."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

2nd Experienced Example

"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."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

12.   How many patients is a full workload for you?

How to Answer

This is a question where you can open up and be honest with your past experiences and what you feel comfortable working with. Each facility/unit/department has different patients with different acuity levels, so the exact number of patients can vary from department to department. This is a good time to emphasize how you keep yourself organized in your work and let the interviewer know that you can take on any workload that comes your way.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"Going into my first job, I have put a lot of thought into this question without having direct experience. Through my clinical rotations during nursing school, I never had a unit with patients to myself as I was always working with a preceptor. In a Family Practice clinic, seeing around three patients per hour, or between 20-25 per day, seemed very manageable in the way I watched her manage the day. For myself, handling a large patient load for a day will come down to my organizational skills and ability to prioritize needs in a timely manner."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"During my career as a nurse, I have found out that the number of patients that I'm comfortable handling is relative to the unit that I'm working on. In a highly acute ICU, I've worked with as a high as 8 patients on a shift and felt this was overwhelming. On a Med/Surg unit, 8 patients on a unit that I'm responsible for is low. No matter the unit that I work on, I have a great method in place for prioritizing the needs of my patients and make sure that all of my patient's needs are met in a timely manner."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"As an emergency nurse for many years, I was able to successfully manage the shifts where we were bombarded with patients. On these days, we often saw over 60 patients on a 10 hour shift and I was comfortable on those days due to my ability to stay organized and prioritize what needed to be done first. "

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"This is a really good question, and it really depends on the situation and the acuity of the patients that I am caring for. However, for the position that I am applying for at your organization, where I would be caring for hospitalized geriatric patients, I would say my capacity would be ten patients, give or take, depending on patient acuity. I feel that one of my strongest skill sets is assessing the patients I am caring for and measuring my capacity, and when I do this if I feel that I am becoming overloaded, I will communicate this to the charge nurse so they can help redistribute or offer help of a CNA. I would not ask for help unless it was absolutely needed, and I only do so when I feel like I cannot properly care for patients who are in my care."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"I've had the opportunity to work in multiple settings throughout my nursing career, and I have learned that the workload I am able to take on greatly depends on the type of unit I am working on and the patient's level of acuity. On a Med/Surg unit, I have taken up to 7 patients. This kept me extremely busy throughout my shift, but I have a system in place to stay organized, and I was still able to meet all of the patient's needs. On a step-down unit I have had up to 4 patients. These patients' acuity level has been much higher and so having fewer patients was more appropriate in order to meet their needs and ensure I was able to provide safe, comprehensive care. Ultimately, I am very organized and efficient with my care so I can handle any workload given to me. I always work closely with my team and nursing assistant to ensure all patient needs are met."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

13.   Tell me about your IV skills. Are you able to start an IV?

How to Answer

One of the skills many nurses will be expected to have is starting intravenous lines (IVs). IVs can be used for many purposes including administering fluids, blood transfusions, and medications. Proper delivery of IV therapy is extremely important because if the therapy is delivered incorrectly, the patient's life could be put in danger. In order for IV therapy to be properly administered, the IV must be inserted into the vein properly, which requires a specific skill-set and the ability to follow protocols. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should elaborate on their ability and experience in starting and managing IVs. A more successful answer would include an example of when the candidate successfully handled a difficult circumstance while starting and/or managing and IV.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"While I was in nursing school, I was trained on administering IVs and in my clinical rotations, I had the opportunity to get hands-on experience, especially during my rotations in the emergency department and urgent care. While in these rotations, I started more than fifteen IVs, and I became very comfortable in doing so. However, since I finished nursing school and started working in the outpatient adult medicine clinic, I have not had the opportunity to practice this skill and I have not started any VIs in over two years. But, I feel very comfortable with my IV skills, and I think I will be able to quickly get back into good practice in only a few weeks."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"The nursing position I held before my current job in pediatrics was at an infusion center, so I spent most of my days starting and managing patient IVs as they received their infusion medications. Because I worked in the infusion center for so long and started so many IVs, starting them is almost second nature to me. Many times, I find that patients are anxious about getting VIs, even in an infusion center environment, when they come in every so many weeks to get their medication; and since anxiety and stress can cause vasoconstriction, I do everything I can to explain the procedure and help the patient feel comfortable. I also take additional measures to make starting IVs easier on myself and the patient, such as placing a warm compress on the site to dilate the veins and, if possible, offering the patient water to help them hydrate. All these interventions help make the IV process easier for me but it also helps patients relax and become more comfortable."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"I am very comfortable starting and managing IVs, and, in fact, I start IVs on a daily basis at my job and I have for many years. Since I have spent the past decade working as an inpatient floor nurse, it has been my responsibility to ensure to properly manage my patients' IVs and move or reinsert them if needed. In my unit, I have a reputation for being able to start IVs even in the most difficult veins or the most difficult locations, and I am often called to help my colleagues start difficult IVs when they are running into trouble."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"Back in 2013, I spent nine months working in an urgent care department, and in this position, I did start IVs on the patients who were receiving intravenous fluids or medications. While I have not worked in a position where I had to start IVs since then, I was able to work through many difficult situations while working in that position. I remember one patient who was extremely dehydrated and needed IV fluids to rehydrate, and while I was searching for a vein in her arm, I could not find one because her veins were so deep and small, which was worse because of her condition. Rather than poking her multiple times or taking the risk of blowing a vein, I found a vein in her hand that I could use and was able to successfully start an IV in her hand."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"Starting IVs is one of my strongest skills as a nurse. I've had a lot of experience with IV starts throughout my career and with the types of settings I have worked in. Typically, I am able to start an IV by simply using my visual skills and my sense of touch. If necessary, I have used portable vein finders in the past. I am now the nurse that is called by my fellow teammates if an IV is needed on a patient that has a history of difficult IV starts."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

14.   Tell me about your experience and abilities in collecting lab samples, such as blood, tissue, and and other specimens. Elaborate on the entire end-to-end process of collection.

How to Answer

In many clinical situations, nurses are responsible for collecting lab samples to send away for testing, such as blood, tissue, and other types of specimesns. The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability and experience in collecting various types of lab samples and their knowledge of documenting samples. In order to effectively answer this question, the candidate should talk about their experience in collecting lab samples and documenting such collections. A stronger answer to this question would include an example of when the candidate streamlined a process for collection or documentation.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"I do not have much experience with phlebotomy, so my current experience with collecting lab samples is limited to collecting tissue samples and other types of samples such as fecal and urine samples. However, each time I take a sample that is going to the lab for additional testing, I ensure that it is appropriately documented in our laboratory log, to ensure we can audit and ensure that the patient got their results. I hope to take additional training soon so I can become more comfortable with blood draws and I can begin collecting blood samples on site as well, so the patient does not have to make an extra stop at the lab to have these tests completed."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"Since I work at a family medicine practice, I have experience collecting many types of lab samples, including blood, urine, fecal, skin, and other types of samples. Any time I collect a sample from a patient, I always confirm their name and date of birth to ensure I am matching the sample back to the appropriate patient, then after the sample is collected, I document it in our laboratory log, so there is a record of it going out to the lab. It is just important that the lab sample is documented appropriately, so we can track and monitor the sample, and ensure the patient gets the results."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"I am an experienced nurse, so I have experience collecting all types of lab samples at the patient's bedside, and I have even been involved in improving such practices over the years. Even after everything went electronic at my hospital a few years ago, when we would collect specimens at the patient's bedside, we would have to manually enter the information into the EHR, and there would often be documentation errors from the accidental transposition of numbers. When multiple documentation errors occurred on my unit one month, I spearheaded a project where the nurses could scan the patient's ID band and the lab specimen bar code and everything would go into the system automatically. This automated system was piloted on my unit and eventually rolled out to the entire hospital, saving everyone time and reducing documentation and medical errors."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"I have experience collecting many types of specimens at the point-of-care of the patient, which is very helpful, as it prevents the patients from having to make an additional stop at the lab. At this point in my career, I have the most experience in collecting blood and specimens of anyone on my unit, and if there is ever a complicated blood draw or tissue sample to collect, I am called in to take care of it. I also am the point person to conduct monthly documentation audits and training for new staff because of my advanced experience."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"Collecting lab specimens is a strong nursing skill of mine that I have had a lot of experience with throughout my career. Most commonly I collect blood, urine, and stool specimens. I always begin by reviewing my order in the EHR and then gathering all the supplies I need for each specific collection. I then perform hand hygiene and don the appropriate PPE before collecting. Immediately after collecting I label and bag all of my specimens while I am still in the room with the patient and I document my collection in the EHR. Then when I leave the room, I simply need to send the lab specimen to the lab. I have developed a very efficient way of collecting specimens that also prevents any errors, and I am often asked to show any new nurses or nursing students my process for collection."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

15.   What precautions do you take with a patient in poor health?

How to Answer

This question gives you the opportunity to point out how you customize your approach to each patient on an individual basis. Nurses see patients with levels of sickness and poor health that span a wide degree of severity. It is important to talk about how you communicate with your patients and using specific examples from your past can be beneficial here as well.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"Any time I see a new patient, I take my time to get to know them both personally and what their health history looks like. Oftentimes, this can lead me to understand just how poor their health conditions are, and I am able to customize my care to them. Emotionally, I'm sensitive to the situation they are going through, and physically, depending on their illness or disease, I do my best to protect them in their fragile state by washing my hands, wearing proper PPE, etc."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Entry Level Example

"During my schooling as a nurse, we were required to take a communications class. Here, I learned excellent question and answer techniques to get to know a patients health history better. As I enter the workforce as a new nurse, I know that I will be able to put these skills to use with each and every new patient that I encounter to help me give them the best care possible."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"Getting to know each patient and their history through what I call a fact-finding process is very important in how I care for each patient individually. Recently, we had a gentleman come into our Emergency Room with what appeared to be chest pain. With him visiting family in our area, we didn't have immediate access to his medical records. While in the room, I was asking him about his health history and we learned that he was a severe diabetic. Knowing this, we were able to customize his care and avoid procedures that could potentially be harmful to him."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Experienced Example

"Working in an adult medicine outpatient clinic, I help patients who are perfectly healthy and patients who have multiple comorbidities. While I strive to give great care to all my patients, I am extra cautious around our patients who have multiple conditions and spend extra time with them to be sure their questions are answered, they understand their medications, and that they understand their medical conditions. It is important to me that these patients are aware of their conditions and how they can self-manage them because helping keep these patients as healthy as possible is a priority."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

3rd Experienced Example

"I always ensure I am wearing the appropriate PPE when providing care to my patients. I am particularly cautious when a person is in poor health and make sure I assess if more than simply the standard precautions are necessary. I feel communication is key for these patients and I sit with them to talk about their health concerns and to see if I am able to determine any potential underlying factors. I recently had a patient who came in malnourished and with significant body odor. It was through sitting with the patient and having a conversation that I was able to learn that he did not have the resources available to eat regularly and he was physically limited on being able to bathe himself well. After learning this, I was able to relay the information to the doctor and help develop a plan of care that included therapy services to gain strength, case management, as well as social work to make sure all his other health needs were being met and he had a safe transition back home when it was time for discharge."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

16.   How do you approach providing patient discharge instructions or patient education?

How to Answer

The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability and skill level in providing patient education. Providing patient education and/or discharge instructions cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, as patients have varying capacities for comprehending information and discharge instructions. If nurses do not adjust their delivery of patient education and/or discharge instructions so that patients and their family members understand what to do, the consequences could be dire. To effectively answer this question, the candidate should specifically explain how they deliver education and/or discharge instructions to patients. A stronger answer to this question would include a specific example of how the candidate adjusted the delivery of educational information or discharge instructions to ensure the patient understood what was being communicated.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"After each patient is seen at the clinic I work at, discharge instructions are printed automatically from the EHR when the clinician finishes up the visit. After the instructions are printed, I take them to the patient room and allow the patient to look over them for a couple of minutes. A few minutes later, I return to the patient room and ask if they have any questions about the discharge instructions, and if they do, I address the questions with them before they leave."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"Being a patient flow nurse, giving patients their discharge instructions is a big part of my job. Each time I am assisting with a patient discharge at the hospital, I review the written discharge instructions with both the patient and any family members or other advocates they have present. In these situations, I know, that most of the time, the patients are unable to understand and comprehend their aftercare instructions since they have been receiving inpatient care, so I ensure whoever is there with them fully understands the instructions. I do this because I know how important aftercare instructions are, especially when patients are taking medications and managing their ongoing conditions, and I want to be sure someone understands how they should be cared for."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"Throughout my nursing career, I have seen many consequences, both minor and severe, of inadequate patient education. Because of this, always try to go above and beyond when providing patient education or discharge instructions. Such an example is when I was recently reviewing discharge and medication instructions with a young patient and her mother. The patient had been diagnosed with asthma during the visit and had been prescribed an inhaler for the first time. Rather than simply telling the patient and mother how many doses of the inhaler to take, I sat with them an ensured they understood what an inhaler was and how to use it. While I was providing the education, I found that neither the patient nor her mother understood how to use an inhaler, so this additional education was essential."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"Providing patient education is one of my favorite parts of nursing, albeit it can be somewhat challenging. Not too long ago, I was dealing with a challenging situation when I was attempting to educate a patient on how to take the medications that we were prescribing to him. As I was attempting to explain the medication regimen to the patient, I quickly realized that he was illiterate and would not be able to read the medication bottles or the discharge instructions that we were providing to him. So rather than simply verbally explaining his dosage instructions to him, I drew him a visual diagram of his new medication regimen and went over it with him multiple times. I was very sensitive to the fact that the man could not read and was careful not to make him feel inadequate, and before he left, he thanked and hugged me for helping him."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"Being a patient and family educator is one of my favorite roles as a nurse. As soon as I know I have a patient planning for discharge, I go and speak with them to determine their needs regarding discharge education. I then can also determine if they will be receiving the education alone or if they have family members they would like involved in the education. I then work to tailor my education to their needs and their preferred way of learning. I recently had a patient being discharged after a total knee replacement. The patient preferred to learn by reading and having pictures. She also wanted her husband to learn all of the discharge education and instructions too and she said he preferred hands on learning. I waited until the husband arrived and then went into her room with all of the discharge instructions and paperwork and thoroughly went through each piece and allowing time for them to ask questions before moving from one piece to the next. I also demonstrated to them both how to provide incision care. By the end of the education, they both verbalized understanding of the instructions and said they felt confident in going home at that time."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

17.   Tell me about a time when you had to assist with an administrative project or task. What did the project/task entail and which software programs did you while completing the tasks?

How to Answer

While the focus of most of a nursing career is on patient care, administrative duties are often a part of the job, especially if a nurse chooses to transition into management positions. There are many nurses who are great in working with patients on a daily basis but struggle with the administrative duties that their employer requires and this can lead to on-the-job performance issues. The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability to successfully complete administrative duties and tasks and to determine which software programs they may be proficient in. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should describe, in detail, an administrative task or project that they have worked on in the past, including details on how they used software programs to organize their work. A stronger answer to this question would include an example of when the candidate led or spearheaded an administrative project.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"When I first started working in my current position in pediatric primary care, we would send young patients to the lab for their blood lead tests; however, management found that the parents were not following up and taking the patients to the lab for the tests. Since this test is important, we started doing the tests in the clinic. Along with conducting the actual tests, I was responsible for tracking how many tests were conducted at our clinical location each week and reporting the count back to our department administrator. Each day, as I closed the clinic, I would count the number of testing slips that were ready to be shipped to the lab and document them on a manual tracker; then at the end of the week, I would email the daily counts to my administrator in a table format so she could get an overall visual of our daily progress."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"Two years ago, when the company I was working for was undergoing their EHR upgrade, my manager put me in charge of ensuring that all clinicians, nurses, and staff on my unit were trained on the upgraded product. Since there were three separate required training classes, each offered at multiple times and dates, it was difficult to keep up with who had attended which session. To make it easy for me to track who had attended the training sessions, I created a tracking spreadsheet on Excel with validations and dropdown boxes, so I could easily visualize who had completed each training and who had not. I posted this spreadsheet on my unit's share drive so each employee could update it accordingly, and weekly, I would verify the information with the training office's records."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"My clinical unit often participates in quality improvement projects that are part of the hospital's larger quality initiatives; however, since our manager is very passionate about quality and improvement science, our unit often runs our own QI projects to improve our process and patient outcomes. Because I have a background in informatics and have strong analytical skills, I am often tasked with data collection and analysis when we run our own QI projects. When I am tasked with such, I build advanced data queries in tableau so the information will display on our dashboard, and I also extract raw data so I can conduct additional analytics in Excel and Access."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"A few months ago, my clinical unit received a new piece of equipment that no one on the nursing staff knew how to use. Because this equipment would eventually save everyone time and become beneficial to our patients, it was important for everyone to learn how to use it, so my manager sent me to training to become a superuser. Once I returned from the training, it was my responsibility to develop a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on how to operate the equipment, so that everyone on the staff would have a guide. Since I had never developed such a document in the past, I had to work closely with our quality nursing department to ensure I was using appropriate language while writing it. In the end, I used Microsoft Word to develop a new SOP that has helped everyone as they have learned to use the equipment."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Answer Example

"My clinic recently began receiving medication samples. In order to have these samples it is required that a strict inventory and audit be completed every month. My manager assigned this task to me. There are various paper logs that I must complete and submit via fax. When I took on this responsibility, I began by making a binder that lays out the medication sample policy and the auditing process as well as copies of the forms that must be submitted. I also used my calendar in Outlook to make a recurring event to ensure that the audit is completed at the same time every month. This process has helped to keep everything organized and ensure it is done in a timely manner."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

18.   How do you make seamless transitions on shift changes?

How to Answer

In almost any nursing setting, handing off a unit at shift change time in a smooth fashion is extremely important. The interviewer is looking to see how you handle the hand offs to and from your colleagues during the shift changes. Here, it is important for you to showcase your communication and listening skills and how you take information and put it to work. Walking step by step through your previous employers' handoffs can be beneficial as well because it will reassure the interviewer that you are familiar with step by step processes in these situations.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"During my clinical rotation on a Med/Surg unit, I had the chance to sit in the shift change huddles that occurred each day at the end of my shift. Witnessing how important the communication was between the nurses coming on and off shift was very vital in my learning how to be a great nurse. They took the time to talk about any patient issues and problem solved on any issues that required problem-solving. These are great learning experiences I will be able to bring to this job."

Written by Ryan Brunner

1st Experienced Example

"At my current position, we have a process for transitioning at shift change. To start, the nurses coming off shift and those coming on have a huddle that is led by the unit supervisor at each shift change. Here, any significant issues with patients are discussed. Next, if any work remains to be done with a patient, we communicate to each other one on one to ensure that the needs of our patients are met."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"Throughout my career, I have taken it upon myself to be an effective communicator during shift changes. In the nursing field, issues arise on each and every shift and to ensure that our patients are taken care of the best as possible, communication is key."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"In my current role, I work twelve-hour shifts, from 7 AM to 7 PM. Many times, when the nurse for the evening shift arrives, I am still assisting a patient, and she immediately begins her nightly routine, so we do not get to talk face-to-face. So, to ensure everything is communicated appropriately during shift-change, I worked with our clinical applications department to develop a clinical handoff note that is built in the medical record. This is a communication tool that staff can use to communicate during shift changes or when they are going to be away for time off. I use this tool to document the pertinent information about each of my patients so that it is in one place for the next nurse to see when she arrives on shift. It has been extremely helpful in ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks and it allows the next nurse to get up-to-speed without having to read through every patients' notes upon first arriving on shift."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

4th Experienced Example

"I begin my seamless transition at the start of my shift by making sure I document clearly and thoroughly throughout my full shift. When it comes time for handoff to the oncoming nurse, I always complete our handoff report at the patient's bedside. I think it is extremely important to involve the patient in the handoff to make sure communication is thorough and the most up-to-date. When I provide handoff, I communicate concisely what occurred during my shift and always ask the oncoming nurse if they have any questions that I can answer. When I'm the nurse coming on I always listen intently to the other nurse without interrupting. At the end, if I am uncertain about something, I will then ask the nurse prior to them leaving for the day."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

19.   Are you specialized in a particular area of nursing, i.e. neo-natal, pediatric, geriatric, or women's health?

How to Answer

On this particular question, the interviewer is looking to hear from you where your passions fall in the nursing field. They can tell where your experience comes from in your resume and now it is time to showcase your passion for the job that you are interviewing for.

If you are interviewing for a specialty area within nursing that you have worked in the past, talk about your interests in that area and why the job is important to you. If you are interviewing for a new specialty area of care, look to point out similarities of your past duties and experiences and how they will translate to this potential new job. New graduates to the nursing field should talk about their clinical experiences and why they see this job as the best fit for their career.

Written by Elisabeth Walter

1st Entry Level Example

"As a new graduate not being specialized at this time, I want to gain as much nursing knowledge as I can in my first job out of school. During my clinical rotations, my opportunity working on a Med/Surg unit was great as I worked with patients from a very diverse background with a variety of illnesses and injuries. This rotation is what brings me here today for your open Med/Surg nursing position. I'm really looking forward to broadening my nursing skills on a unit like this and working with patients from all walks of life."

Written by Ryan Brunner

2nd Entry Level Example

"Since I just recently graduated from my nursing program and obtained my nursing license, I don't consider myself specialized in a particular area of nursing yet. However, during my clinicals, I excelled the most in my emergency department and critical care rotations. I attribute my success in these rotations to the years I spent working as a technician in the emergency department at the local hospital. So, while I cannot honestly say I specialize in a particular area of nursing as of yet, I am most comfortable working with emergency and critical care patients."

Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019

1st Experienced Example

"Having worked in Family Practice as a nurse for my entire career, I've had the joy of working with mothers and their newborn children for their care when they were sick. I've provided care for newborns that have had a wide array of sicknesses and have always loved that aspect of that of my job. With my career goal always being working on an obstetrics unit, my experience working with newborns will translate well."

Written by Elisabeth Walter

2nd Experienced Example

"When I came out of nursing school, my dream was to work in a home health setting. After putting in my time to gain experience, I landed the job that I am currently working in a home health setting. Over the years, I have gained a great amount of experience working in that setting where I have received excellent patient satisfaction scores and have become very effective and efficient working away from an office on the road. Your opportunity highly interests me as it would enable me to utilize my skills in a much larger scope while still providing me the opportunity to continue learning and growing in my career."

Written by Ryan Brunner

3rd Experienced Example

"Yes, I am. When I first became a nurse I had a passion for cardiac nursing. As I worked in this area of nursing I was exposed to trauma nursing as well. I fell in love with this immediately and the need to think critically and respond quickly. I now have my trauma nurse certification and have worked as a trauma nurse for several years."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

20.   How much orientation time do you feel is reasonable?

How to Answer

There is not a one size fits all answer to this question because it depends on the new hire's experience. A novel or graduate nurse would require a much lengthier orientation than perhaps someone who is transferring from in-house or has worked a specialty unit recently.
There should be a standard orientation for all nurses for hospital-wide information and procedures and a unit-specific one. The interviewee should clarify if there is a hospital-wide orientation that all hires attend and a nursing/unit specific one. It shows intelligence and interest by asking them to explain what their current orientation policy is and then asking pointed and relevant questions about the policy. Be honest about what you need. Do not overpromise you can hit the ground running. Do what is right for you, the organization and the patient. Be clear about what you need and be clear about what they offer as you do not want to find yourself on day two with a difficult patient on a short-staffed unit with minimal support.

Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019

1st Entry Level Example

"I think this really depends on the unit. As a new grad, I had talked with my instructor about typical orientation and training, and she shared it can be anywhere from 2-6 months. I'm flexible and would be fine with that amount. I know the training time could vary depending on which unit of the facility I was hired for, but I feel 2-6 months is adequate time to be trained on the company's policies, equipment, and patient care routines and treatment. During my orientation, I would keep in close communication with my manager, letting them know where I felt like I was progressing and if there were any areas, I felt like I needed additional training and support."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

1st Experienced Example

"I would be happy to answer that question but first, could you tell me what your current orientation is in terms of hospital-wide policies and nursing-specific orientation? I am confident that I would not need any more hospital orientation time, but I would like to know what orientation on the nursing unit looks like? Will I have several days of shadowing? When that is completed, will we then continue to have a mentor on the unit for some time? I feel that I would be comfortable with at least one week or shadowing and mentoring on all shifts. I have previous experience but I would like to be able to get comfortable with the shift flow, equipment, and other tasks. Is there an orientation checklist that I need to complete such as admissions and discharges and how much time is allotted for that?"

Written by Ryan Brown on June 5th, 2019

2nd Experienced Example

"I know each organization handles orientation a little differently, so I can adapt to whatever the standard is. Because I have been a nurse for several years and have worked in this type of setting before, I would need minimal orientation and training. During my orientation, I would keep in close communication with my manager, so they know where I may need more orientation or where I excel and need limited orientation. I would also communicate when I felt confident to be on my own."

Written by Jaymie Payne on December 18th, 2022

3rd Experienced Example

"Since I am a seasoned nurse and have previous experience in this area of nursing I am comfortable with a shorter orientation time. When I first began in this area of nursing, I had a longer orientation that was approximately 4 months. I learned a lot during that time that I have carried with me throughout my career. Now I feel I would only need about 1 month because of my significant background in this area. I understand though that each hospital has their own rules and guidelines for orientation and so I am happy to have a longer orientation if that is required."

Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023

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