Interview

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Dec 29, 2005

My school doesn't do interviews, just a personal essay and letters of reference. I am assuming they might ask what do you plan to contribute to nursing, and what life experiences have led you to pursue a career in nursing to start. Best wishes to you.

Stdy2BaNurse · Dec 29, 2005

Fortunately for me our school doesn't do interviews - or essays, or anything of the kind. It is strictly a numbers game.

Anyway, on the other hand, those apply for the radiology tech program do have to go through an interview process and I don't want to be doom and gloom, but every person I have talked to about the interview process said it was horrible. In the case of our school - as with most - clinical spaces are limited and the interview process is the final weeding out of candidates.

I wish you the best on your interview - prayers that it is just a formality to your acceptance :)

heymansgirl · Dec 29, 2005

Hi thank you both very much! My interview is for January 10th! :uhoh3: It's for an hour and a half so who knows! I can only hope for the best! Thanks again:)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2005

In general, you want to treat a nursing school interview very much like a job interview. First of all, be acquainted with a few ideas.

Initiative – Autonomy

Dynamism – Energy

Responsibility

Orientation to the client and co-workers (ability to provide customer service)

Learning capacity

Productivity

High adaptability – Flexibility

Leadership

Team work

Tolerance to pressure

Analytic ability

Professional development

From those be able to have an idea, in your mind, of what characteristics make a good RN because there's probably a 99% chance you are going to be asked that. You are also, most likely going to be asked what your strong points and weak points are. Again, there's the list to choose from.

I have a bank of interview questions. I chose ones that I thought would be appropriate for a nursing school interview. There's no way of knowing what you are going to be asked. You may be asked about things you put on your application, so I hope you kept a copy of it. If you had to write an essay for your application, make sure you read it over again and be able to answer questions about what you wrote.

SOME QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT ASK THAT YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR:

What do you think makes nursing the right career for you?

What are your professional objectives in the future?

How do you manage work stress?

How would you express your frustration?

How do you react when someone criticizes you?

Why are you leaving your current career?

What did you get compliments on in your last job (or career)?

What do you consider to be important characteristics in a nurse?

In what area of your current job are you outstanding?

In what area of your current job are you not very good at?

What obligations do you have as a student?

What obligations do instructors have to a student?

What are your favorite subjects?

What were the subjects in which you had more difficulties? How did you solve these difficulties?

What were your most difficult assignment as a student?

Do you know any nurses? What do you admire about them?

What kind of a leader are you? Please, give examples.

Tell me about some situation in which you couldn’t overcome a difficulty, how did you feel?

Why do you think you couldn’t do it?

Describe a situation in which you have made a mistake and how did you manage it?

Can you describe a situation in which you have had to work on a project with a group of people and some of the others just didn't pull their weight?

Tell me about a time in which. . .

You were creative to solve a problem.

You convinced the members of your team to do thing the way you proposed them.

You once had to take an unpopular measure in your position.

You were tolerant with a radically different opinion from yours.

You were not satisfied with your own behavior.

You had to deal with an irritable client (or person).

What do you know about our nursing program?

What interests you about our nursing school?

What are your best qualities that will make you a good nurse?

Do you have any characteristic or ability that would make us consider you better than the other candidates?

Why should be take you on as a student in our nursing program?

Why do you want to get into the field of nursing?

Are you often absent from work?

How do you face tasks you dislike?

How do you react to the critics if you think they are not justified?

How do you accept dressing codes?

What have you learned from your mistakes?

Describe the perfect nurse.

How would a friend of yours describe you?

What do you think about policies and rules?

Do you consider yourself a person with self-initiative?

Do you have an analytical mind?

Are you interested in the investigation?

What do you do when you have difficulties solving a problem?

What is the most boring task you have ever performed? How did you manage it?

What is the most interesting task you have ever performed? How did you manage it?

What are the requirements for a person to succeed in nursing?

Is there anyone who has inspired you to become a nurse?

What would you do if you saw another nursing student doing something they weren't supposed to do with a patient?

What would you do if you saw a fellow nursing student taking home some stuff from the school?

Have you ever trained anyone at a job you had? How did it go?

How do you tolerate mistakes made by other people?

What about you will change by becoming a nurse?

How do you picture yourself in 3 years? How are you currently preparing yourself for that?

How important is the salary of a nurse?

Is there anything else I should know about you?

In your opinion, what would be the main reason to choose you?

Up to now we have talked a lot about you; do you have any question for me?

QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK:

What is the criterion you will use to select the person you are looking for?

What are some of the problems that nursing students often have to face?

What kind of support can I expect from the instructors?

What kind of advice would you give to me as to how to prepare for my first day of nursing school?

When will you make a decision on who you will be accepting? How and when will I be notified?

Good luck! After your interview, please come back to the forum and report to us what you were asked. You will be helping others who follow you.