Sample Interview Questions

  • Why did you decide to become a nurse?
  • Why did you choose this area of nursing?
  • What do you know about our organization? Why do you want to work in our hospital and/or community?
  • What qualities or skills do you possess that will be an asset to you for quickly adapting to the demands of your working environment?
  • What part(s) of your nursing education did you enjoy the most? What have you learned about yourself while in nursing school?
  • What have you done in nursing school that has shown initiative?
  • What does professionalism mean to you?
  • What nursing organizations do you belong to and how do you stay current in the profession?
  • What key skills are needed to be an excellent nurse? How have you developed these skills?
  • What do you value most in a job?
  • Describe your relationship with your last manager or supervisor.
  • What type of work environment do you thrive in and what was your best work situation and why?
  • How would you describe your work ethic and approach towards nursing?
  • What kinds of management style do you like the most, the least, why?
  • Describe a situation where you had to work in a team. What role did you play? What were the team dynamics like?
  • Tell us of a time when you had to give difficult feedback to a coworker.
  • How do you ask for feedback about your performance from others?
  • Describe a situation in which you had to prioritize your workload when faced with many demands.
  • As a nurse you will be in contact with patients with a variety of needs and lifestyles. What kind of patients do you find difficult to work with?
  • What strategies do you employ to successfully work with diverse populations?
  • At times patients or their families ask us unexpected questions or make unusual requests that we haven’t dealt with before. Tell me about a time when this has happened to you.
  • Describe a difficult decision you’ve made and the process you went through to reach that decision.
  • How would you handle unexpected circumstances, such as being short staffed or having to perform a treatment you have not done before?
  • Tell us about a difficult situation you have experienced in a clinical or work setting. How did you handle it, what did you learn from it, and how would you implement what you learned in a positive way in the future?
  • Health care is a service-oriented industry. Tell us of a time you personally created good customer service experience for someone.
  • Please give an example of when you have offered respect and caring to a patient or a coworker.
  • How would you describe your weaknesses in terms of clinical skills, and what do you need from us to help address developing those skills?
  • Tell me about a clinical mistake you made, and what you learned from the experience.
  • What approach would you take in explaining a complex clinical issue with a patient who does not have a clinical background?