If you have a nursing interview coming up, then you might feel a bit nervous and unprepared. That is completely normal. Nervousness is to be expected when it comes to going for a nursing interview.
However, there are some things that you can do to help you feel more prepared for your nursing interview.
There are so many ways to prepare for an interview. Whether that is picking out the outfit you are going to wear the night before or planning the answers to well known questions that are asked in nursing interviews.
Well, if you want to feel more prepared then we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a guide to help you learn how to prepare for your nursing interview. This includes looking at some common interview questions and top tips for acing your nursing interview.
Table of Contents
Preparation To Do For Before The Interview
As well as preparing for your nursing interview, you need to make sure that you’ve prepared for it before the interview. This includes how you are getting there, what you are going to wear, and other odd jobs to make your morning smooth.
Go To Bed Early
The night before your interview it is important that you get the right amount of sleep you need. You might feel tempted to stay up late so you can make sure you are fully prepared.
However, ideally, you should be prepared before the evening before your interview. So, if you follow these steps and prepare in advance, you should be able to get a good night’s rest.
Going to bed early will allow you to think clearly the next day and answer any questions you get asked at the interview efficiently.
Plan Your Route
Something that can be forgotten when preparing for any interview is planning how you are going to get there.
It is best to plan your route and your form of transportation before the day of your interview so you can be prepared for anything that might cause you to be late. For example, road works or traffic.
Plan Your Outfit
Another way to make the morning of your interview run smoothly is by planning your outfit the day before. When you are going for a nursing interview, it is best to dress in a professional-looking outfit.
Go for business professional attire unless stated otherwise by the person you are interviewing for.
This means wearing a suit with dress pants, tie, belt, and matching blazer for men. Women can also opt for a pantsuit or could wear a knee-length skirt with a blazer and blouse.
Pack Your Bag
You can save yourself from being stressed on the morning of your interview if you have packed your bag the day before.
You can do this by checking what the interviewer asked you to bring to the nursing interview. Another thing you need to check is that you have all the important documents for your interview.
Preparation To Do For The Interview
Now that you have everything prepared or know what to prepare for before the interview, you can start preparing for the actual interview. There are many ways to prepare for your nursing interview.
Research
During your nursing interview, it is important that you are able to show the interviewer your skills and knowledge about nursing. A great way to prepare for this is to brush up on your research before the interview.
This means being able to quote relevant research and evidence during your interview. If you are aware that the place you are interviewing for specializes in specific medical procedures then it would be a good idea to research them.
A good thing to do once you’ve learned about relevant research is to assess how this would influence your work and how you would tackle scenarios.
Having a prepared answer for how research helps to change how you would respond in a specific situation is a great way to show your skills.
Be Aware Of Current News
A great way to demonstrate your passion for nursing is by keeping up with the current news and discussions that are happening in the community. It would be good to have knowledge of any major medical news that is being broadcast so you are prepared if they bring it up.
It is a good idea to be aware of anything that is happening in the world that could affect the way you might practice. This might mean possible changes to legislation that could impact the way the medical community works.
Questions To Expect
There are a few questions that tend to pop up in most nursing interviews. So as a way to prepare for them, you should have answers to these questions already. That way you are not caught off guard during the interview.
Why Do You Want This Job?
This question is quite broad so you might be more likely to struggle with the answer. To answer this question, explain the things you like about the role you are interviewing for and explain why you would be a good fit.
Don’t go into too much detail when answering this question but don’t make your answer short. This is a good question to show your enthusiasm for the role.
How Would You Deal With A Difficult Patient?
There might be quite a few scenario questions in your nursing interview. In this case, they might explain how the patient is being difficult so you can base your answer around that.
However, in some cases, they might keep the question broad so you have the opportunity to explain how you’ve dealt with difficult patients in the past.
This question is a great way to show that you are a compassionate and patient person. These are key qualities you need to have if you are going to be a nurse.
When answering this question make sure you include how you are going to reassure the patient and ways that you would make them more comfortable. If you have dealt with a difficult patient before, then it might be worth explaining that example to your interviewer.
How Would You Deal With A Conflict With A Doctor?
There will be times when nurses and doctors might have a disagreement. So, it is important to show the interviewer how you would handle this by showing them your teamwork skills.
This question is about showing how well you listen, communicate, work in a team, follow the chain of command, and solve problems.
The chain of command is something that is important in the medical community, so you need to be aware of this when planning your answers.
How Would You Deal With A Medical Crisis?
With this question, they may give you an example of a crisis such as an outbreak. This is the perfect chance to demonstrate all of your skills. You should be able to explain how you are able to adapt to different situations.
To make your answer stronger, you should explain the procedures you would follow and why they are important.
How Would You Deal With A Busy Workload?
It is no secret that nurses work long hours and their shifts can be difficult. This question aims to see how well you would be able to handle the stress of a busy work environment. It is also trying to see how well you are able to organize your time.
A good way to answer this question is to give an example of how you managed a busy workload before. It would be good to explain how you would care for a number of patients effectively.
These are just a few of the many questions that you could be asked. To prepare, it is best to plan as many answers as possible for you.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for your nursing interview is vital to your success at the interview. Make sure that you plan everything so that the night before your interview, you can relax. The key to a successful nursing interview is to have your answers prepared so that you are not caught off guard.
Make sure that you are able to demonstrate the key skills you’ve learned during your time training or from past nursing jobs. It is important that you are able to show that you are a good fit for the job.
Following the advice in this guide should help you to feel less nervous about your nursing interview. You should also feel confident and prepared for your nursing interview. Hopefully, we have helped you feel like you are ready to tackle the nursing interview.
We wish you all the best in your nursing interview!
