Nursing interview tips: Common questions and how to prepare

Interviews are an important part of the hiring process for any job, and nursing is no exception. Interviewers for nursing positions are interested in a broad skillset – one that includes effective communication, collaboration, compassion and time management. At the same time, nursing is a demanding profession, and an interview is your earliest opportunity to find out if a particular company’s role is not only a good fit, but a sustainable one.

To ensure that you and your interviewer learn everything you need to know about each other, preparation is key. Keep reading for advice on preparing for your interview, how you’ll be asked to present your experience, what you can ask to learn more about the role, and other factors to consider.

Tips for your nursing interview

To make the best possible impression, you have to plan ahead. Here’s what you can do before, on and after the day of your interview to set yourself up for success.

1. Research the company you’re applying to

No two companies are exactly alike, so it helps to learn more about the company where you’re applying. Reviewing the job description and the company’s online presence allows you to emphasize just how well you fit the role and confirm they’re a good fit for you, too. It’s also a good idea to review a company’s website to learn about their mission, visions and values so you’re prepared to discuss them during an interview.

2. Anticipate the questions

Getting surprised by a question during an interview can be stressful. Take some time before your interview to research what kinds of questions you can expect and think about how you’ll answer them.

Interviewers for nursing roles will seek to learn about your experience through a combination of traditional interview prompts like, “Tell me about yourself” or “Why do you want to work here?” and behavioral questions about how you act in various situations. You don’t want your answers to sound rehearsed, but picking anecdotes from your previous roles that demonstrate skills and qualities from the job description will give you a solid foundation to work from.

3. Prepare for the day of the interview and the day after

Interviews are about more than having good answers to questions. You also have to present a professional image. At a minimum, this means arriving 5-10 minutes early and dressing well. Unless you’re specifically asked to wear scrubs, plan on business casual – khakis or dress pants with a button-down shirt, cardigan, blazer or sweater. Women can also opt for a professional dress or skirt. Avoid things that may be distracting, such as jeans, sneakers, flashy jewelry and strong scents.

Aside from your outfit and when you arrive, there are a couple other things you can do to convey professionalism. One is to bring copies of your resume – a reference copy for yourself and an additional copy for each interviewer.

Something else you can do is to express gratitude. Learn your interviewers’ names, thank them at the end of the interview and send them a thank you note or email a day or two later. This shows initiative and lets them know that you feel strongly about the role.

Common interview questions for nurses

Since it takes a lot of education and training to become a nurse in the first place, interviewers for nursing roles tend to ask about situations where you’ve demonstrated specific qualities. These can include adaptability, good communication, teamwork, time management and commitment to patient care. Here are some examples of what you can expect.

What are your strengths? What’s an area where you’re looking to improve?

Variations on these questions are opportunities to demonstrate how you assess your skillset relative to the job duties. In this context, a strength would be an area where you’re accomplished. Maybe there’s an area of care where you thrive or an element of patient care that has gotten you consistently positive feedback from your patients.

An area for improvement, on the other hand, shouldn’t be a skill or knowledge area that you’re totally lacking in – you don’t want to seem unqualified. Instead, pick an area where you’re competent but have less experience. When discussing, make sure to mention what you’ve been doing to further your growth in this area. It’s important to show that you’re committed to improving and learning.

What’s an example of a time you went the extra mile for a patient?

Providing quality care to patients is at the core of being an effective nurse. Interviewers are likely to ask about situations where you put significant effort into ensuring that a patient got everything they needed. Your answer is a chance to show your compassion in action, whether it took the form of explaining treatment recommendations, giving a referral for a complementary specialist or something similar.

Tell us about a time you were in a challenging situation with a colleague, patient or their family. How did you handle it? What did you learn from it?

A career in health care is rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. There may be times where you disagree with a colleague’s choices, and there may be times where a patient or their loved ones are unhappy with the care they receive. It’s important to show that you can handle these kinds of situations in a professional, compassionate and productive way.

Depending on the example you give in the interview, this could look like finding compromises, politely standing your ground or prioritizing a patient’s experience. This can also be an opportunity to show your understanding of protocol – there are situations where the right move is to defer to a more senior colleague or to call in a supervisor.

Describe a situation where you made a mistake. What did you do about it?

Nobody’s perfect. But we have to be accountable for our errors, find ways to fix them when possible and know how to avoid them in the future. To that end, an interviewer may ask about a time when you made a mistake. An example from outside of work can be okay if the stakes were high, but the more relevant your example is to nursing, the better. Remember, this kind of question isn’t about putting yourself down. It’s about demonstrating how you learn and grow.

How have you balanced competing priorities in previous roles?

As a nurse, you’ll frequently have multiple patients and duties demanding your attention at the same time. Organizational skills and adaptability are key to making sure that everything gets done. Interviewers want to see that you know how to pivot, strategize and ask for help when you need it.

Why do you want to work in this unit?

Interviewers want to understand your motivations. If you’ve applied to a particular department, they may want to know why. This is an opportunity to connect your own values, skillset and experience to what you found as you researched the company. It’s also a chance to demonstrate a growth-oriented mindset if you’re applying to a department you haven’t worked in before. New experiences can be challenging, but they’re also how you expand your skillset.

What questions to ask your interviewer

You can typically expect time to ask your own questions toward the end of an interview. This is your opportunity to learn more about the role. Here are some questions you can ask to get valuable insight into what it’s like working at a particular company.

What’s the culture like at this hospital or unit?

This question can help illustrate how the company’s values translate to the floor. You’ll be able to learn a bit about the work culture, how collaborative it is and what kind of support you can expect.

What’s your staffing ratio?

Few things convey the pace and intensity of work at a given practice like the ratio of clinicians to patients. Finding out how many nurses, doctors and administrators there are, and how many patients you’ll typically be responsible for, can give you an idea of what your day-to-day experience will be like.

What kinds of opportunities are there for professional development?

Again, communicating commitment is valuable during an interview. This question does that, but it can also give insight into the resources and support you’ll have access to. Are there incentives and flexibility for pursuing additional education? Is there a mentorship structure in place? This question can help you learn just how much growth you’ll be able to achieve.

What’s your advice for a nurse joining this unit?

Different practices and departments have different challenges. Knowing which of your skills will be most valuable and which skills you’ll need to develop may help you hit the ground running.

What do you like about working here?

At the end of the day, it’s ideal to work at a place you like. This question and your interviewer’s readiness to answer it will help flesh out your understanding of the company’s tone and culture.

What else to consider when applying for nursing positions

As important as it is to present yourself as a good fit for the nursing roles you apply for, you should also be thinking about what makes the role a good fit for you. Does the company have structures in place to help you sustain your work? Do you want to have a say in how your floor is run? Will you be encouraged to grow? These kinds of questions can be key to choosing a role that will set you up for long-term success.

At HealthPartners, we know that providing high-quality care means caring for our team. To help you show up as your best self for every patient, we offer a commitment to work-life balance and robust well-being programs to support it. We also provide learning and development opportunities for you to grow your skills and career, and our nursing practices have councils and committees for team members to share their voices.

All of this comes alongside a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive medical and dental care, generous PTO and more. With a variety of open nursing roles, you’re sure to find a position that aligns with your interests and skills. Join us today.