Interview Question?

[BEN_RN12]

During the interview process when asked a question such as "Why do you want to be a CRNA" should one's answer be short and sweet ie Greater autonomy, career goal etc.. or should one elaborate on questions posed.

Any input on how to address the questions asked during the interview will be greatly appreciated.

BEN_RN

[NurseWeasel]

I think the 'right' answer depends on who YOU are - just be yourself. That said, if you're inclined to short answers you might consider tossing one out and then watching carefully for signs that they want MORE... in which case you can elaborate on why you said that.

[NiteyNight]

Your answer should be whatever your gut feeling is. There are no right or wrong answers to this question. Tell them what the driving force behind you wanting to be a slave to their program for the next 2 1/2 yrs is. The interviewers have been doing this a long time. If you give them a bogus answer they will see right through you. Just tell them what you feel. Good luck!

[ICUDOUCME?]

Ben,

I struggled with this too because I would practice answering this question in the shower and it sounded so stupid! I would ramble and go on and on about how I wanted to have autonomy because I really liked autonomy and oh, I already said that...and that's redundant.

I finally made myself talk out loud until I could put a few words together that sounded halfway like what I was feeling. It's hard to articulate feelings...really hard sometimes. I sat at the computer and typed a stream of thoughts about why I wanted to be a CRNA. This really helped because I didn't censor myself at all. Then I printed the page and circled things I liked and crossed out things that were redundant or didn't really express the true me. I came up with a few thoughts that were genuine but had some structure and then I practiced by reading these phrases out loud many times.

By the time I interviewed, I was able to say a few things that were exactly what I was feeling without repeating myself or stumbling too much.

Another idea is to realize that we all want to be CRNAs for a few core reasons and there's nothing wrong with those reasons. That's why it's so hard to get into a school. This career appeals to a lot of people because it's practically the only advanced degree in nursing that offers such a variety of incentives...flexibility, autonomy, responsibility, financial stability, the ability to go anywhere and get a great job, the ability to work part time and still be able to make a decent living, the focus on one person at a time in a finite setting.

Take a few of these reasons and make them personal to you by applying them to your own situation. Good luck in your interviews.