Interview question for those who have been through it

Amanda.RN · Mar 13, 2012

Practice some of the basic questions that are asked in every interview...

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What made you interested in applying here?

3. What would your co-workers say about you?

4. Tell me about your greatest accomplishment, and a project that went terribly wrong.

5. How did you react to the project that went terribly?

6. Tell me about your best and worst qualities.

7. What would you do if you had a student who was being ...

...and so on...

Google "common questions during interviews" for more examples.

You said you don't handle "off the wall"comments well -- if this is a teaching position (sounds like it is), I'm guessing you may get quite a few off the wall questions from students (?).

Don't forget to smile, exchange pleasantries, and be confident.

Good luck! Hope it goes well!

laurabs24 · Mar 19, 2012

excellent questions! thanks!!!! not planning on teaching....for now anyways. just getting the DNP because of the new requirements. i would probably have gone for a DNP anyways though to further my career and open up news doors past being a PNP.

laurabs24 · Mar 23, 2012

I just finished up with my interview. I felt very prepared and felt like I answered all of the questions with pretty good responses. But, I'm just worried I didn't say anything that would make me stand out over the other applicants. That was actually one of the questions, and I don't think I had a stellar answer. I felt very composed and articulate. I really did the best that I could have hoped for, I was imagining much worse. Decisions will be sent out mid April. Although I feel like I did well, I still don't feel confident that I will make it. :/

iMACRN2FNP · Mar 23, 2012

1. How would you handle differing culture values different from yours?

2. Is this the only school you applied to?

3. Why (name of school) when you completed your undergrad from (other school)?

4. Why (PNP, AGNP, FNP, etc)?

5. What do you plan to do with you degree after you finish?

6. How do you learn best?

7. Are you willing to travel to clinical sites far from where you reside?

8. What would you do if somebody in a group project is not contributing work?

9. What do you do if you felt you deserve a better grade because you worked hard on a paper?

10. What would you do if you have other methods of treatment other than your preceptor? How are you going to approach that?

11. What are your plans if you do not get into graduate school?

12. How do you deal with conflict? Give an example.

13. Is there a time when your values differ from your boss?

14. How do you plan to finance your education?

15. Describe your support system.

16. How do you plan to contribute to (name of school)?

17. Tell me about your nursing background.

18. Tell me about yourself.

19. What are your long-term goals? short-term?

20. What are your strengths? weaknesses?

There are more, these are all that I remembered. I wrote them all down immediately right after the interview.

creyes97 · Jan 9, 2014

Hi, I'm going to apply in May for the FNP for the PNP what type of nursing experience(years and departments) do you have?

IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Jan 11, 2014

Hi I'm going to apply in May for the FNP for the PNP what type of nursing experience(years and departments) do you have?[/quote']
What? The FNP for PNP?

creyes97 · Jan 11, 2014

Haha haha PNP program

Chic88 · Jan 27, 2016

iMACRN2FNP You are amazing. Thank you greatly for taking the time out not only to write these questions, but to share them. My interview is in a month. Much appreciated!

Devnation · Jan 30, 2016

I think a lot of people are nervous about interviews; I was. Interviewed less than 2 weeks ago for U of MD's DNP program and found out I got accepted yesterday. I spent time preparing for my interview, and I feel it paid off because afterwards the interviewer told me it was a great interview. Here's what I learned: dress professionally. I know some people don't believe you need to dress up, but it does make a difference. If you are a man, wear a suit, or at least a jacket and tie. For us ladies either a suit of a dress/skirt with a blazer. One of the easiest and cheapest things you need to wear is a confident smile. Look interviewers in the eye, pay attention, and shake hands with a firm grip. Remember their names, and always send a note or email afterwards thanking them for their time, but also summarizing why you are the perfect candidate.

I studied common grad school questions and practiced answering them in front of a mirror so I would know how my face looked. Try not to memorize though, you don't want to sound like you're reciting. I did not get all the questions that IMACRN did, thankfully :). However, some of them were on the list. I think everyone asks "Tell me about yourself," and about your greatest accomplishment. This is the part where you really get to sell yourself. Let them know why your are special. If it's like other places I have seen, they will see many other applicants that day. You need to make an impression.

I also got asked why they should pick me over another candidate. I used this space to show how much I knew about the program and faculty. I researched faculty members for professors doing work that would interest me, and mentioned them by name during the interview. I mentioned that I wanted to go to a top school, and that UMD is #6 in the country (according to US News and World Reports) and that I liked their mission statement. It helps to really research the school for two reasons: firstly, you want to make sure it's a good fit for you, also interviewers want to know you are truly interested.

I also came prepared with questions to ask them. They should be questions that cannot be answered by looking on the website. That makes you look like you haven't researched the program. I asked 5 questions I had written down beforehand, one of them was what makes their program stand out compared to other programs. The interviewer said it was a good question and gave me a thoughtful response.

The bottom line is to prepare, relax and be your best self. Hope this helps someone. Good luck!

nursemissjulie · Dec 31, 2017

I have spent a long time trying to pick out a school for Family Nurse Practitioner; I finally chose a local private Catholic school, Marymount University. It was close to home, not overwhelmingly expensive, had in-class instruction mode and most importantly didn't need STATISTICS or GRE as prereqs. I was dodging statistics for a long time and wasn't about to change my ways. Also it had a spring start, which would place me in the program 6 month earlier. I wasn't very optimistic although my GPA is great. Admission package required resume and essay indicating the applicant's motivation for seeking the degree and postgraduate plans 250- to 400-words. The grad admin called me literally the next day after the application deadline and invited me to the interview. I was so excited and anxious! Finally the interview day arrived, I was very nervous. I chose a very conservative suit and blouse for the interview. It was held at the nursing wing of the school building, the program overview and tour preceded the interview. There were only 14 people there but the school is also very small and they wouldn't tell us how many seats they have for the program. Finally, I was called in to interview by the assistant program director, very polite but stern looking woman. She asked me typical interview questions:

Why do you want to be a nurse practitioner?

What kind of challenges I thin k NP faces the most?

Do you volunteer?

What do you think will be difficult for you in the program?

Do you belong to any professional organizations?

How NPs you worked with influenced you?

General questions to elaborate on past work experience and education: I did drop out of a class late in my BSN program and received an F, I was asked to explain what happened.

The interview was rather short and I couldn't tell if I did ok or not, so I was really anxious. They promised to reach out in 2 weeks but I haven't heard from them for 4 weeks. Finally I have got an email with provisional acceptance and was beyond happy. I am starting this January 2018.

RNCJC2017 · Dec 11, 2018

Hi Julie,

I was wondering how things are going for you? Its funny I just had my interview and I had the exact same experience. I start January 2019.

I would love some feedback.

Sincerely,

CJ