"why nusing" new grad ?

JenRN30, BSN · Dec 18, 2009

When I answered this question, I gave a scenario and how it impacted me in my nursing career. Here it is. When I originally decided on nursing, it was mostly because I thought it would be a good career choice. I didn't have any experience in the healthcare field, so I was going in blind. My first semester of nursing school, I had an instructor who was teaching my fundamentals course. One day, she began telling us about an experience she had as an ICU nurse. She had a gentleman who was in a coma. Every day, she would go into his room and talk to him as if he could answer back. She told him about the weather, what was going on in the news, etc. He eventually was transferred to a different floor, and she wasn't able to find out what happened to him.

A few months later, she was in the elevator talking with a coworker. As she got off the elevator, she heard her name being called. When she turned around to see who it was, she realized that it was the man who had been in the coma. He told her that he recognized her voice, and that she had been the only one who had talked to him like he was a real person. He remembered hearing a lot of people talking in the room, but only she had actually talked to him. The man then told her that he felt like she had saved his life.

Hearing this story from my instructor really affected me because I realized the impact that a nurse can have on a patient's life. Before this, I didn't really understand, but after hearing this, I was motivated to be the best nurse possible, and really make a difference in the lives of my patients through great patient care.

This is what I said in my interview, and they seemed to like it. Hope this helps.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 18, 2009

I have interviewed for many and applied for very many more jobs and most often been asked "Why nursing" in either essay format, interview, or both. My question is this, how is the best way to answer this question? I know I can approach it pragmatically and concise or more poetic and descriptive. Either way the answer is essentially the same, but presentation makes a difference. How shall I best tackle this question to better assure acquisition of the job?

Avoid BS (at least too much BS!).

Try and figure out what drew you to nursing as a career - was it the thought of caring for others, an experience in your past, the opportunity to learn/grow as a caregiver, the opportunity to make millions of $$$ (OK, maybe not that one!) .....

THEN, try and incorporate your past clinical experiences (as a student in nursing school or whatnot) into a story supporting WHY you entered nursing.

In an interview, an employer isn't so much looking for an "absolutely correct" answer, so much as a compelling reason why YOU should be hired rather than your peers. Be able to explain what drew you to nursing, what you saw/felt/learned during your patient contact experiences confirming your decision.

You want to present yourself as confident, excited, yet open & willing to learn. Try to be memorable (in a positive manner). Make them WANT to hire you.

Good luck!

waiting4myfuture · Dec 18, 2009

JenRN30,

Your response IMO is quite deep, I'm glad it helped you get hired. I am wondering if maybe I should more of that type of approach. I have trouble being very open with complete strangers, especially those who hold my future in the palm of their hands. It's quite intimidating

CrufflerJJ,

What if that past experience was very personal in nature? I know exactly why I chose the career I did. I switched career paths my senior year from wanting to become a lawyer (with much more likelihood of those millions) to pursue nursing. How much is really safe/professional to divulge. (It had to do with caregiving for my dying family member).

JenRN30, BSN · Dec 18, 2009

waiting4myfuture,

You asked, and I told you what I did. Just a suggestion, take it or leave it. I just feel that if you tell them something that you are emotional about/feel is important, they will be able to see that you care. I think that they just want to see that you put some thought into it, and are motivated to be a good nurse and work hard for them. You don't have to give full detail, just say what you think is best.

Nothing I said in my interview was BS, and as CrufflerJJ said, I think it's best to leave that out.

I think it would be professional to share your story if you don't make it seem like a pity party. They asked, you're telling them why you chose nursing.

Don't worry about it too much, I'm sure you'll do great.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 19, 2009

I have trouble being very open with complete strangers, especially those who hold my future in the palm of their hands. It's quite intimidating
CrufflerJJ,
What if that past experience was very personal in nature? I know exactly why I chose the career I did. I switched career paths my senior year from wanting to become a lawyer (with much more likelihood of those millions) to pursue nursing. How much is really safe/professional to divulge. (It had to do with caregiving for my dying family member).

How much you divulge and HOW you divulge the info is up to you. The interviewing process is actually a "selling job". You are trying to sell yourself to a potential employer, and they are trying to determine if you meet their needs.

It's perfectly reasonable for an employer to ask why you went into nursing. You need to be able to present a compelling argument as to why they should hire YOU. Your difficult decision about changing majors late in college gives you something to talk about in an interview. Remember - to do well on an interview, you're not just answering their questions in a yes/no fashion. You are answering the question, while "fleshing out" your answer to present you, your abilities, and your passion for doing the job in the best light possible.

In my case, I was more than happy to explain why I left a 22 year engineering career to pursue a second career in nursing.

Here's an example - an interview panel looking at 2 candidates.

"So tell us why you went into nursing?"

Candidate A: "Because I want to help people." End of answer, followed by vacant-eyed smile. Buzzzzzz...thank you for playing, we'll be back in touch (in other words, best of luck in your future interviews...goodbye).

Candidate B: "Well, I didn't really start out looking to go into nursing. I worked for the first 3 years in college towards a career in law. Something happened along the way, however, which made me rethink my future. [insert mention of your family member, you acting as caregiver, what it meant to you, how it made you FEEL, how it forced you to rethink your career path, the fact that it meant that you had to do extra prenursing coursework, blahblahblah. Tell WHY you dropped your past direction & went for nursing]." Well, waiting4myfuture, it certainly sounds like you've given this a lot of thought. We can see your passion (and will remember you a lot more than the generic candidate even after you leave the interview room).

Sell yourself. Be memorable. Stand out from the generic candidate.

Good luck!