Pediatric Nurse Mock Interview

Master 29 Pediatric Nurse interview questions covering patient care, family communication, and clinical scenarios.

WRITTEN BY DARBY FAUBION
QUESTION 3 OF 29

What made you choose to become a pediatric nurse?

Darby Faubion
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
Entry Level

"I actually worked medical-surgical nursing for a while before deciding to work in pediatrics. I enjoy getting to be the 'happy face' in the midst of uncertainty for those children. It is a very rewarding job."

Darby Faubion
Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.
Experienced

"I know lots of people say they chose pediatrics because of a love for kids. I believe that and feel the same way, but it's not just my love for kids. Pediatric nursing requires a special passion for nursing. Our patients can't always communicate like an adult. A lot of what we do is based on their responses and actions, not just what they say. Also, we have to take into account that there are adults who have to make final decisions for them. I love getting to know people and the fact that I get to care for little ones who can't care for themselves means the world to me."

Heather Douglass
Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
How to Answer

Your choice of profession tells alot about you. Interviewers often ask what made you choose a specific profession. It's their way of getting to know you and seeing how passionate you come across regarding your choice.

Heather Douglass
Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
Example Answer

"I love kids and honestly never thought of choosing any other career. As soon as I started nursing school, I knew I had made the right choice. Going through my clinical rotation in pediatrics only solidified my choice."

Community Answers

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.

Anonymous Answer

When I was 10 years old my grandfather was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer and that opened my eyes to the medical field as he was in the hospital for a couple of weeks when he had surgery to try to remove the cancer. I would go up there every day after school and sit and talk to him. This was a difficult time for me and my family and to this day I remember the friendly faces of the nurses that took amazing care of my grandfather up to his last days and comforted us when he passed. That experience is what inspired me to become a nurse. I babysat for many years before beginning nursing school and developed a love for caring for children so I knew I always wanted to do something with children. When I began nursing school I knew pediatric nursing was the right specialty for me. After completing my clinical rotation and preceptorship in pediatrics that solidified that I was right and my passion was in the pediatric field.

Cindy's Feedback

Good. I see how the two experiences combined to lead you to your occupation. Very clear.

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29 Pediatric Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 Tell me about a time you had to deal with a distraught family member and how you handled it. ~BEHAVIORAL 02 What characteristics do you think are important for healthcare professionals to have? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 03 What made you choose to become a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 04 Have you ever had a disagreement with a coworker? If so, how was it resolved? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 05 What about your job as a pediatric nurse gives you the most satisfaction? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 06 Nurses at our facility often work on rotation. Are you willing to work, nights,weekends, holidays, or overtime if needed? ~EXPERIENCE 07 Have you ever cared for children with autism, and can you share your knowledge of one of the disorders within the Autism spectrum? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 08 Have you ever done wellness exams or given immunizations to pediatric patients? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 09 Working in a pediatric unit requires a great deal of attention to detail and often multi-tasking. What do you do to help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 10 What about your work feeds your spirit? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 11 What would you say is your greatest strength as a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 12 What changes have you seen in terms of children's chronic health issues since you became a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 13 Has there ever been a time when you received negative feedback, and how did you handle it? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 14 What advice would you give to a nurse who is about to begin a career in pediatrics? ~CAREER GOALS 15 Why do you think nurses often report experiencing 'burn out' and what do you do to help try to prevent that? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 16 Have you ever been in a situation in which a co-worker put a patient in jeopardy? If so, how did you handle it? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 17 Have you had any special patient or experience that you could share with me that would tell me what it's like to be a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 18 Why do you think you are a good pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 19 What is a challenge you face being a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 20 If you could choose a specific schedule or shift, what would it be? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 21 In addition to providing care to seriously ill children, pediatric nurses must attend to stressed out family members. How do you approach offering support to family members? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 22 Has there ever been a time that you had a disagreement with a coworker? If so, how was it resolved? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 23 What are some things you would like for people to notice about your personality? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 24 If you were offered a position that requires travel, would you accept it? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 25 If you were the person responsible for hiring new employees, what qualities would you look for in a candidate? Do you think you possess those qualities? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 26 What fuels your passion for your work as a pediatric nurse? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 27 Have you ever worked in an environment where your co-workers were from diverse backgrounds? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 28 Is there a particular story about a pediatric patient that was personally moving for you? ~PEDIATRIC NURSE 29 How do you respond to an emergency situation at work? ~COMPETENCY
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