Scribd
Upload
474 views3 pages

"Why Did You Decide On A Career As A Nurse?": Example Answer

This document provides examples of answers to common interview questions for nurses. It discusses answering questions about why you want to be a nurse, what you find rewarding about the job, your greatest nursing skill, the hardest part of being a nurse, why you're the best candidate, telling the interviewer about yourself, and why you want to work at their hospital. For each question, it provides advice on what to focus on in your answer and gives a sample response highlighting relevant qualifications and experiences.

Uploaded by

Anita Dewi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
474 views3 pages

"Why Did You Decide On A Career As A Nurse?": Example Answer

This document provides examples of answers to common interview questions for nurses. It discusses answering questions about why you want to be a nurse, what you find rewarding about the job, your greatest nursing skill, the hardest part of being a nurse, why you're the best candidate, telling the interviewer about yourself, and why you want to work at their hospital. For each question, it provides advice on what to focus on in your answer and gives a sample response highlighting relevant qualifications and experiences.

Uploaded by

Anita Dewi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

1.

“Why did you decide on a career as a


nurse?”
While this isn’t exactly a behavioral question, it’s still one you need to be
prepared to answer ahead of time. Because this is such a hands-on,
specialized field, employers need to know what it is that makes you want to
be a part of it. Don’t be afraid to get a little personal with your answer…just
don’t go overboard!

Example answer:

I come from a long line of nurses. Both my grandmother and my mother are nurses.
Growing up in that environment and seeing how much they love what they do every day
is both inspiring and motivating. I love the challenges and thinking outside the box to
come up with solutions keeps me excited and engaged. I’m proud to continue the
tradition of nursing in my family. Above all, knowing that I’m truly making a difference in
people’s lives is what truly makes it all worthwhile.

2. “What do you find rewarding about this


job?”
There are lots of rewards that come with a good job; the paycheck,
proximity to where you live, the retirement benefits…but remember, when
you’re in an interview, it’s not actually about you…it’s about them and
satisfying their need, which is finding the Perfect Candidate (hint, it’s you!).

Example answer:

I truly love helping people, and when those people are children, there’s no better feeling
in the world. I remember having one little boy as a patient who had a long-term issue
resulting in the loss of one of his legs. During the course of his treatments we discovered
we had a mutual love for robot movies. I stayed with him all through his amputation
surgery, and when he was fitted with his prosthetic, I was there to cheer him on. We
celebrated his first step with his new leg by throwing a robot movie marathon in the
common room. His dad pulled me aside that afternoon and told me how grateful the
whole family was for all our help and support. It wasn’t an easy time for that boy or for his
family, but knowing that it was a little easier because I was there and had made a
genuine personal connection with them all was humbling and inspiring.

3. “Tell me what you feel your greatest skill as


a nurse is.”
This is your opportunity to really showcase what it is that makes you
unique from all the other applicants! Really think about this ahead of time
and come up with solid examples that highlight this skill.

Example answer:
I’m very proud of my ability to really listen to what a patient is telling me. Nothing
frustrates them more than feeling as though they’re not being heard. Having spent the
past five years in the medical field working directly with patients has shown me just how
far actively listening can go in helping make someone comfortable. My most recent
position included working with patient directly in admissions which meant I was often the
first face they’d see when they came in and the last on their way out as well as
everything in-between. In that time, I learned that addressing their concerns and making
sure they felt we were genuinely listening to them was just as important as receiving
quality care. As a result, I helped to establish a patient advocacy program to help teach
other nurses those same listening skills.

4. “What do you find is the hardest part about


being a nurse?”
This is a trick question. No, the hiring manager isn’t actually asking you to
tell him how much you hate the early morning shifts because you’re just
not a morning person and you hate getting up before the sun does.
Remember, they’re there to find a person to fill a job position, they’re not
your therapist.

Example Answer:

I think the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with is feeling helpless. While it’s my job to
provide as much care and comfort as medically possible, there are times when you just
can’t do more. Seeing someone in pain or feeling miserable and knowing there’s nothing
you can do to help is the most difficult thing I deal with. I am a nurse because I genuinely
care about people and want to help, and when I can’t, that’s hard.

5. “Why are you the best nursing candidate for


this position?”
Oh man, this question is actually the best question you could hope to be
asked. Why? Because this is your opportunity to really sell the hiring
manager on why you’re the Perfect Candidate without actually saying
those words (no, really, don’t say those words…)

Example answer:

I’ve been working as a Registered Nurse for the past eight years and loved every day of
it. This is more than a job, it’s a passion, and I’ve used that passion to drive me forward. I
make sure to stay abreast on all the current advancements in my field, am continuing to
further my education, and am constantly striving to make sure that I stay on top of
emerging trends and technology. I enjoy the challenges that come with this job and take
every opportunity to learn and grow.

6.“Tell me about yourself.”


While we at the Interview Guys already go over this question in depth on
our blog in another post, it’s such an important question to answer properly
that we’re going to go over it here as well.

Remember that they’re not asking you for your life story. An interviewer is
asking you this question to find out from you what you think is important
and how well that matches up with what they’re looking for. Remember
that list of qualifications and qualities you made earlier when going over
the job posting?

Now’s a time to work a few in.

Example answer:

I’m a motivated self-starter who really enjoys the hands-on and human aspect of our
industry. To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than helping people out when they need
it the most. Having spent the past five years in the medical field working directly with
patients has shown me just how far actively listening to a patient can go in helping make
someone comfortable. My most recent position included working with patient directly in
admissions which meant I was often the first face they’d see when they came in and the
last on their way out as well as everything in-between. In that time, I learned that
addressing their concerns and making sure they felt their voices were being heard was
just as important to them as receiving quality care. As a result, I helped to establish a
patient advocacy program to help teach other nurses those same skills.

7. “Why do you want to work here?”


Don’t say the money. We all know it’s the money, but please, don’t say it.
Employers aren’t stupid. They know that paycheck is a big part of why
you’re applying, but don’t be that guy. Talk about your career goals and
your vision for your future in your industry and how those directly relate to
what you will be doing if hired.

Example answer:
I’m fascinated by the new and emerging technology involved in ongoing patient care,
especially in the field of pediatrics. Your hospital has been ranked in the top five hospitals
in the nation for the past seven years running in new innovations and I’m excited by the
possibility of being a part of that and learning from your experts.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy