Interviewing for Schools

Hello everyone, first time poster in this forum (having spent most of my time in the pre-nursing forum). I have my first school interview coming up for an accelerated BSN program at the University of Missouri. I'm really nervous about and do not know what to expect.

I've searched in this forum and it seems that people have been posting this very question but with little to no responses. Can anyone describe their school interviewing process who has done it in the past?

Are the questions mainly personal questions? "Explain a time when you had to work with a difficult customer/employee etc" Or are the question more "medical" in terms of "explain the pharmacokinetics and the adverse affects of such and such drug"?

I'd really appreciate it if those who have already gone thru a couple of interviews would share! I'm pretty calm and cool during my interviews but they have been mainly in situations where I am really comfortable in (ie software development, customer service, etc).

Thanks!

I had essays and not interviews for nursing school. But I can't imagine that they're going to ask you nursing content questions.....they have your academic transcript, so they can see your academic abilities.

Just like in the work world...what they're looking for in an interview is what they can't tell on paper. Who are you? How articulate are you? Why do you want to be a nurse? Will you stick it out if things get difficult?

I think your past interview experience will serve you well.

Best of luck!

Peace,

CuriousMe

i can not believe that you actually have to go to an interview for nursing school - just baffles my mind

i can not believe that you actually have to go to an interview for nursing school - just baffles my mind

How so? I mean it is an Accelerated BSN program. I'm sure they have way more applicants than available seats correct? I'm sure, like CuriousMe said, they just want to make sure they are getting a good canididate to fill one of thse seats.

I think your past interview experience will serve you well.

Best of luck!

Peace,

CuriousMe

Thanks! That is the attitude I'm pretty much taking. I hope I do well!

I had to interview to get into my program.

The interviewers, thank God, stayed away from the generic "Explain a time when you had to work with a difficult customer/employee etc" type questions. And no, we were not quizzed on anything either (ex. "explain the pharmacokinetics and the adverse affects of such and such drug"?).

For the most part the questions were about my educational background, I was asked why I wanted to go into nursing, who (if anyone) inspired me to become a nurse, and what I think might be some challenges I might face during the program. I was also given a "scenario" to look over before I went in and was told that we'd discuss it. The basic gist of it was that "you are on your first day of clinicals, you are brought into so and sos room. The patient is exhibiting x, y, and z as far as symptoms and your instructor is called away to assist with another patient. What do you do?" The program that I am going into is a direct entry MSN program geared towards those individuals who hold a degree in a field other than nursing and/or those individuals looking for a career change....meaning that we dont have any prior nursing background. At first looking over this I was a bit nervous and unsure as to what I would do/how I would respond, but once I took the time to think it through, I felt confident enough in my response even though I had no nursing experience and they told me that I did a good job with my response.

Basically just confident in yourself and your abilities, know your strengths and weaknesses and be honest with them.

Good luck with everything!

Wow thanks! That must of been nerve wracking to be given a scenario! Sounds as if you did an excellent job though.

it was at first, but after I mulled over it for a few minutes I realized that my response just relied on common sense.

you will do fine. :-)

How so? I mean it is an Accelerated BSN program. I'm sure they have way more applicants than available seats correct? I'm sure, like CuriousMe said, they just want to make sure they are getting a good canididate to fill one of thse seats

Many, many nursing programs have way more applicants than available seats and don't interview. I heard stats like there were 900+ applicants for 125 seats in my program.....and we were required to submit a proctored essay, but not interview. It just depends on the program.

Best of luck on your interview!

Peace,

CuriousMe

I had an interview for nursing school. I was asked the following questions:

1. Tell me what a nurse does...

2. If a doctor gave you an order that you thought would harm the patient, what would you do?

These were the two that stuck out in my mind. Good Luck! :)

I had an interview for nursing school. I was asked the following questions:

1. Tell me what a nurse does...

2. If a doctor gave you an order that you thought would harm the patient, what would you do?

These were the two that stuck out in my mind. Good Luck! :)

Thanks for the info! I'm getting nervous and having to study for finals on top of that doesn't help. Now throw in taking the gf to meet the family for thanksgiving! Whoa!

Not every school has an interview. My school had about 100-120 applicants for our 15-18 seat program. Only 16 made it in. We were all given an entrance exam (not the NET) that very few people passed, and pretty much anyone who passed was invited to orientation and allowed to start based on getting their entrance criteria in order. We have finished Fundamentals and are almost done w/ Med Surg 1, and have only lost 1 person. I suspect we'll lose another couple by the end of this semester, but only 1 or 2.

Personally, while I think that *maybe* one of the three or so that had struggled in Fundamentals could have been weeded out by an interview, generally speaking I think that our testing method was the best possible way to get quality candidates. The test was on things that we would not possibly know without hitting the study guide hard, or taking every possible co-requisite, which either way shows dedication and an ability to test well... both important for getting through school and passing the NCLEX. Past grades, imo, really don't show a whole lot other than that you show up and do your work, because NOTHING compares you for the rigors of nursing school. Even though my classes in Software Programming were really tough, they don't hold a candle, commitment-wise, to nursing school thus far.

Well my program is a graduate program and most grad schools will interview their applicants before they accept them. That could be why I had an interview.

Well my program is a graduate program and most grad schools will interview their applicants before they accept them. That could be why I had an interview.

the OP's program was a BSN, so that was what I directed it towards.

I don't know enough about Masters programs to say one way or another, but then if that was the OPs question I would have kept my mouth shut for that very reason. :)