Meeting with an admissions committee to determine if they will be accepted into their top-choice program is nerve-wracking for many. After all, the panel is ultimately making decisions about your future. If it doesn’t get a student’s attention, we’re not sure what will.
In today’s world, getting into nursing school is a tough nut to crack. This comes as a shock to many individuals, especially considering the United States will require over one million new registered nurses. That isn’t to say that nursing students should panic. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of being ready to shine during your nursing school interview.
In this post, we’ll walk you through some possible questions to expect in your nursing school interview and how you can answer them.
How To Answer Nursing School Interview Questions
Before we go into the possible nursing school interview questions, let’s talk about how you want to respond. The approach is similar to that of a job interview. And, with the correct approach in place, you may be prepared for both typical and surprising queries.
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How Can You Come Up With A Winning Strategy?
First and foremost, it is beneficial to comprehend what the admissions committee is looking for.
Nursing schools want to know that you can succeed as a nurse as well as a student. Nursing schools want to know that you have the drive in addition to strong foundational education and GPA.
Nursing is a profession that many people regard to be a calling. You’ll be more likely to wow them if you can demonstrate a passion for patient care and health.
They also check for a variety of additional characteristics.
Nurses must have excellent organizational skills, the capacity to adapt to fast-paced or chaotic circumstances, and the willingness to take responsibility for their actions. Empathy is also essential for connecting with patients and putting yourself in their position. Communication abilities are also essential.
See How to Prepare for an Internship Interview
Nursing School Interview Questions And Answers
Here’s an outline of possible nursing school interview questions and how to answer them. This will help you perform well in the interview session.
1. Why did you decide to pursue a career in nursing?
First and foremost, you need to understand why. You should have a reason, and it should not be to fulfill your parents’ ambitions (or expectations). Perhaps you can state that you have always had compassion for those who are suffering, or that you grew up with a good role model in your family (another nurse). You can also tie your answer to a specific job you hope to have in the future, such as working for the Red Cross in Africa or something else entirely.
2. Why did you pick our university?
You have two choices here. The first (less popular, but more honest) refers to the school’s location or other factors that make studying with them convenient for you. The better response is to compliment them on something they do (perhaps their reputation, the excellent study programs they have in place, great campus life, or anything else that got your attention on their website).
3. What are your guiding principles?
A difficult topic to answer, mostly because we often have no idea what our values are, despite the fact that we all have some values and act accordingly. Love, hope, health, faith, empathy, compassion, and movement will all strike a chord with the admissions committee members.
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4. Do you have a life role model?
You may dress up like a famous nurse like Clara Barton or Edith Cavell. You can also choose from a list of charitable figures, such as Mother Teresa. Another option is to choose someone close to you who works in healthcare and does an excellent job on a daily basis (your father, your uncle, a good friend of yours, etc).
5. This nursing program has a large number of applications. Why do you think we should pick you over the other candidates?
This is another difficult nut to crack. You basically have two choices. One of them is making a list of your skills and qualities that make you a good candidate for a study program.
Another is humility, in which you admit that you don’t really know, that you have a great desire to work as a nurse, but that you can’t determine whether you are better than the other study program applicants because you haven’t seen them in person…
6. Nursing school is difficult and time-consuming. Are you prepared to deal with it? What are you prepared to give up?
In this interview, you should not wear pink glasses. On average, 25% of nursing school students do not complete their studies. Isn’t that a large number? They don’t always drop out because they don’t pass their tests. The reasons can range from being pregnant to a lack of funds to continue.
Demonstrate to the interviewers that you understand how difficult it will be to achieve and that you anticipate spending the majority of your time studying. You could also mention that you spoke with other students, who helped you realize what will be expected of you at school and how difficult the experience will be.
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7. What do you think the most difficult component of nursing is?
This is a highly personal question with a very personal answer. I’ve known nurses who became emotionally attached to their patients and suffered greatly when their loved ones suffered or died. But I also know nurses who detested night shifts and battled to keep up with their work schedule. And what do you think is the most difficult aspect?
8. Can you think of some of your personal characteristics that would help you as a nurse? Is there anything you’d like to get better at?
They understand that you are stressed and can’t show them all of your finest cards, so what you say doesn’t have to reflect in your interview presence. However, you should feel that you have what it takes to one day become a fantastic nurse.
Humility, on the other hand, can work wonders in interviews. The interviewing committee prefers humble pupils who are aware of their flaws, who believe that there is always an opportunity for development, and who believe that learning never stops.
9. Interprofessional collaboration and teamwork are essential in the field of nursing. Describe an instance when you were a member of a multicultural team
This is a normal inquiry regarding your own experiences, in which you get to discuss more your own background, with a focus on a specific attribute valued by this field. You should be open and honest about your experiences, as well as prepared to consider the benefits and drawbacks of variety. Discuss how different perspectives and methods improve a team, as well as how disagreements are respectfully addressed in such collaborative projects.
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10. Tell me about the time you decided to pursue a career as a nurse
Choosing a professional path is a significant life decision, and an interviewer will be curious as to why you chose to study nursing. You should talk about the event that inspired you to pursue nursing, why it had such a major impact on your life, and what drove you to want to be a nurse in particular.
11. What do you think is the most crucial quality for a nurse to have?
This question reveals a lot about an applicant’s approach to nursing by emphasizing what they consider to be the most important aspects of the job. You can approach the subject from either an interpersonal or a medical standpoint, depending on which is most consistent with your ideas. Justify your response and emphasize the value of the other skill set.
Helpful Tips for Nursing School Interview
To make a good impression, you should have well-thought-out and confident responses to the questions given at your nursing school interview. Another method to position yourself for success is to dress professionally and keep a good posture throughout the interview. Filler words and extended gaps should be avoided when speaking. Before leaving, thank your interviewer for their time at the end of the interview.
If your interviewer gave you contact information, you should send a follow-up email after you depart. Thank the interviewer for their time again in the note, and convey your excitement for the opportunity to apply to their nursing school. This follow-up email demonstrates your commitment to the school and desire to spend extra hours. You can make an even bigger impression by sending a handwritten note thanking them for their time in the mail.
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Conclusion
We hope you found this post as helpful as promised. We urge you to take your time to prepare for your nursing school interview. Cheers!
FAQs On Nursing School Interview Questions And Answers
A high GPA, like your nursing degree, is a significant achievement. This information can be included in a cover letter or on your resume. A higher GPA may also help you receive a better clinical rotation at some nursing schools. The students with the highest GPAs, for example, are admitted to the intensive care unit or the operating room.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four-year program that provides students with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to work in the healthcare field.
Health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, and health restoration are the four key components.
it is generally advised that nursing students study for 2-4 hours every day. To become a registered nurse, you must commit class material to memory, thus the more time you spend studying, the better!
Nursing school is famously difficult. Most nursing programs need high GPAs and strong performance in math, chemistry, biology, psychology, and other difficult courses. It’s also quite satisfying.
The minimum GPA for BSN programs is frequently set at 3.0. The minimum for ADN programs is more likely to be in the 2.0 to 2.75 range. Prerequisite course grades may be taken into account independently. These are the bare minimums; to be competitive, you should set your sights far higher.
References
- interviewpenguin.com – Nursing School Interview Questions & Answers (including MMI)
- bemoacademicconsulting.com – 100 Nursing School Interview Questions in January 2022
- indeed.com – 33 Common Nursing School Interview Questions
- theinterviewguys.com – Top 20 Nursing School Interview Questions (Example Answers Included)
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