The Interview

[cieethekid]

Hey y'all!

I'll be completing the last pre-req courses required for the BSN program at my school and then it's interview time. Tell me about the nursing interview. How did you all prepare for it? What questions will they definitely ask? Any feedback is appreciated.

 

Sidenote: I typically kill it in interviews... but I totally understand that this interview will be the determining factor of my being accepted into the program, so I'm waaay more anxious about it. I am a prepper, so I start early ?.

My concern is that I am legit 1 year post grad from the Radiology program at the same school. I don't want it to appear as though I am flippant in my decision making.

[Triplepoint, ADN, RN]

At interviews, they are typically looking for a few things. First of all, they want to see that you have poise, know how to dress appropriately for the situation, and that you handle yourself well in a stressful situation.

They generally will ask you to talk about yourself briefly and ask you why you want to be a nurse. Make sure you have a solid and genuine answer for this part. In my nursing school interview, one of the girls totally crumbled and started spouting motivational quotes and telling the interviewers all about what a great realtor she had been. Not good. She did not get in.

Often, they will put you on the spot in some way to see if you can handle pressure. This part isn't about having the perfect answer, but rather to see if you are easily flustered in stressful situations and if you have the maturity and professionalism to deal with it. 

In a nutshell: handle yourself well and present yourself professionally, and know why you want to be a nurse. Don't come across as cocky or unsure of yourself. If you can accomplish that, you are way ahead of most. 

 

[Nurse_USA, BSN, RN]

For your specific situation I would definitely expect someone to ask you why you are switching careers. But that's awesome because you can be prepared. You can easily explain that you witnessed nursing while working as a radiology tech and explain the reasons why it would be a better fit. Or you could explain you did radiology first to work and then move into nursing, but you were able to accomplish it more quickly for whatever reason. Your experience as a radiology tech is actually a plus because you know how the hospital works, general patient care, and you know how to read images (which a lot of nurses aren't great at).

Preparing your answers is one of the best ways to prepare. Preparing ahead allows you to be more confident and answer with more personal character.