6 Tips forSurviving Your First Nursing Interview: Preparing for Success

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Interviewing is already nerve-wracking enough. Throw in the idea that this is the interview that’s going to change your life as you know it, and you’ll feel lucky if you get any sleep the night before. This article comes in leu of me going through my first round of interviews for potential nursing jobs while in my last semester of nursing school.

That’s right, nursing students can land jobs before they’ve even taken the NCLEX, for those who weren’t aware.

That was definitely some shocking news when I found out. I think it’s great that hospitals would give students this kind of opportunity to have a job secured months before graduation, that way they can start as soon as they’re licensed.

My interviewing experience was unique because I am lucky enough to be a part of a system where my school and hospital system work together in supporting their students/future nurses.

They set up an entire interviewing session (similar to a job fair) with several units of the hospital, similar to a job fair, but only for the students in my class. We went around from one table to the next, interviewing with managers from units that we would be interested in working with.

I must have interviewed with at least six different managers for acute care units that really caught my eye. All of which were amazing. I would feel lucky to land a job on any one of the units that I interviewed with.

After doing six consecutive interviews for potential nursing jobs, I think it’s safe to say I have a little insight into how these things go.

Don’t Stress it

Easier said than done right?

Considering these were probably the most important interviews of my life so far. What helped me survive my interviews is reminding myself that they are just humans like me and they’ve been in my shoes once upon a time.

They’ve been in that interview seat, sitting across from an intimidating nurse manager, nervous and stressed out of their minds. But there they are as nursing managers now. They survived their interviews, and so can you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that managers have experience with interviewing and can tell if you’re being genuine or just giving the answers that you think they would want to hear. They also have a keen sense for when someone is just plain nervous, versus actually being an idiot like you thought you appeared to be.

The Morning of the Interview(s)

You want to think ahead without making yourself more stressed than you already are. When you see your interview day on the horizon, take some time to plan ahead so that once you get to the morning of, you aren’t frantic and overwhelmed.

Eat a good breakfast: Something that will keep you full for a while. If you have nerves that make it hard to eat, maybe even something small and high in protein would work for you. Eggs or a protein bar might be a good choice.

Don’t drink too much caffeine: I say this for two reasons…

• One, you don’t want to feel like your bladder is going to explode mid-interview.
  
• Two, this might just be me, but I talk too much and too fast when I’ve had too much caffeine.

Do some yoga or stretching before you leave the house: Whether to calm your nerve or get your blood pumping, doing a few stretches before heading out might be beneficial.

What to Bring to Your Interview

Showing up prepared for an interview makes just as big of an impression as what is said. Bringing everything you might need will benefit you as well as possibly give you brownie points with the manager who is interviewing you.

Have several copies of your cover letter and resume handy. Even stick them in a professional folder of some sort to carry with you if you happen to have one available to use. Honestly, I used just your regular old two-pocket folder that I usually use for class paperwork. It works just as well and saves you probably $10+ that you might spend on a fancy leather folder.

Have your planner and a good pen handy. (asking the manager if you can borrow a pen won’t look as professional as you coming prepared with one.) You want to be prepared to write any important dates such as shadowing opportunities or peer interviews if the opportunity arises.

Bring a snack! Not to eat in front of the person interviewing you of course, but maybe in the car or between interviews if you have multiple in one day. There’s nothing worse than a noisy stomach mid-interview!

A Few Questions They May Ask You:

The biggest part of interviewing is answering the questions that the manager throws your way. There are a lot of common questions that you can expect to hear at interviews.

Some of which are specific for nursing interviews. Keep in mind, you don’t want to sound scripted during your interview. Having questions to look at beforehand should really just be helping you have a general idea of what to expect. Not for you to write a detailed script of what you think the answer would be that they want to hear out of you.

Q & A

• What are some of your strengths?

Consider things that your instructors or peers have complimented you on throughout your time in school. Maybe you’re always prepared or are the person everyone comes to during clinical for a little confidence boost. Being a leader or a team player are very important strengths to possess in nursing.

• What are some of your weaknesses?

Being humble enough to know that you have weak points, and what your weak points are is important. Having the confidence to admit to them is a great quality as well. Being open about weaknesses when asked, and even mentioning what you are doing to improve are great points to talk about if asked.

• What brought you into nursing in the first place?

Managers are used to hearing the generic “I love helping people and taking care of them” or “I had a sick grandma once” kind of answer. While that all may be true, consider the answer that is unique to you.

Maybe you enjoy being a part of a patient’s road to recovery and watching them get a little better each day. Or maybe you have great ideas that could benefit the medical community, and you want to gain some experience as a nurse before pursuing such endeavors.

• Where do you see yourself professionally in the next five years?

Honesty is great, but maybe consider whether your goals will be keeping you on the floor you applied for, for more than just a couple of years.

If you are just applying for a foot in the door, it would be admirable to explain that you long-term goal is to do “such and such” (labor and delivery or Intensive care maybe) but that you want to build a strong framework first.

Talking about goals, in general, is a great talking point in an interview. Managers enjoy employees who are motivated and driven to reach goals.

• Do you have any questions?

This one used to stump me during interviews, but now I take it as the opportunity to interview them back. Often the question I ask is

“What does a typical day on your floor look like? What makes it stand apart?” This shows them that you are interested in hearing how the workflow goes on their floor, you’re genuinely interested.

Questions You Could Ask

Being able to ask and answer questions during an interview are both important skills. Below are a few questions that I’ve asked and had positive reactions to.

• “Can you tell me what a typical day on your floor looks like?”
  
• “What are you looking for in a new grad nurse?”
  
• “Does the team on your floor participate in many fun events like birthday parties or baby showers?”Maybe birthdays and baby showers are celebrated as they come about. It’s nice to know if you may be working on a floor that acts like a family.

Don’t Over Prepare

Unless going over practice questions until you can’t take it anymore brings you comfort, it might not be the best idea. I’m not saying take your interview prep lightly, just don’t rehearse to the point that you sound entirely scripted during the interview.

The same goes for how you dress or do makeup. Professional attire is expected, but don’t go beyond your comfort zone. Stick with a look that represents you. If you’re anything like me, heels aren’t your best friend in professional situations. Flats are totally acceptable for interviewing.

Final Thoughts

Interviews are definitely stressful, but going into them with a clear mind and positive thoughts makes a huge difference. Preparing for them beforehand by having the right supplies and a good breakfast on hand will set you up for the success that you deserve!

Good luck! You’re going to do great! ( I mean it!)

In the comments, tell me about what else you might do to prepare for a life-changing interview!

Here’s a link to a video by a YouTuber who has helped me a lot through my nursing school experience so far! Hopefully, she can be helpful to you as well 🙂