40 practical nurse interview questions and answers pdf

40
1
interview
questionsand answers
FREE EBOOK:
Source: nurseCareer247.blogspot.com
practical nurse

3
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avoid-in-nurse-career

Top materials for job interviews:
In this document, you can refer to materials for a practical nurse
interview such as: practical nurse situational interview, practical nurse
behavioral interview, practical nurse interview thank you letter…
Other useful materials for a successful practical nurse interview:
1. Ebook: Job Interview Questions &Answers by Bob Firestone
Download link: click here, full ebook review click here
2. https://www.slideshare.net/jobguide247/12-steps-to-prepare-job-
interview
3. jobinterviewquestions.biz/free-ebook-15-secrets-to-win-every-job-
interviews
4. http://interviewquestions68.blogspot.com/p/top-14-mistakes-in-job-
interviews.html
4

1. practical nurse question: Tell me about yourself?
It seems like an easy interview question. It's open ended: ”I can talk about
whatever I want from the birth canal forward. Right?”
Wrong. What the hiring manager really wants is a quick, two- to three-
minute snapshot of who you are and why you're the best candidate for this
position.
Related post: Tips to answer question: tell me about your self?
5
http://interviewquestions68.blogspot.com/2017/03/tips-to-answer-tell-me-about-
your-self.html
So as you answer this question, talk about what
you've done to prepare yourself to be the very
best candidate for the position. Use an example
or two to back it up. Then ask if they would like
more details. If they do, keep giving them
example after example of your background and
experience. Always point back to an example
when you have the opportunity.
"Tell me about yourself" does not mean tell
me everything. Just tell me what makes you
the best and fit the job requirements

2. practical nurse question: What qualifications are
important for a nurse to have?
School nurses are usually
registered nurses. They must
be expert at analyzing tell-tale
signs of diseases common
among school children of all
ages. They exercise good
judgment every day in
deciding whether to send a
child for a check-up by a
specialist.
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3. practical nurse question: Where do you see yourself in
five years’ time?
What the interviewer really wants is to see that you’ve
thought about your future, and gauge your ambition.
They also want to verify that this isn’t just a stop gap
position.
Although all of your answers should be tailored to the
organization and position you’ve applied for, this is
especially the case with this question. If you’re going for
an entry level position, for example,
Related post: Tips to answer question: what about your career goals?
7http://interviewquestions68.blogspot.com/2017/03/tip-to-answer-what-about-your-
career.html
explain how you’d like your career to progress (e.g. ‘I’d like to progress to a
Senior Software Engineer’ or ‘I see myself being a team leader…’).
If you’re going for a more senior position, explain how you’d be looking to
move the company forward. Have a look at their business strategy or corporate
objectives before the interview, and explain how you can help in achieving
them.

4. practical nurse question: Are there any desirable
personality traits that a nurse should have?
Nurses are generally friendly,
caring, gentle, and sympathetic.
They are able to explain concepts
and situations clearly, yet
without upsetting patients
unnecessarily. School nurses
must be particularly caring and
careful, since they work with
children who are psychologically
vulnerable patients.

5. practical nurse question: What is your greatest weakness?
"What are your weaknesses" is one
of the most popular questions
interviewers ask. It is also the most
dreaded question of all. Handle it by
minimizing your weakness and
emphasizing your strengths. Stay
away from personal qualities and
concentrate on professional traits: "I
am always working on improving
my communication skills to be a
more effective presenter. I recently
joined Toastmasters, which I find
very helpful."
Related post: Tips to answer question: What is your greatest weakness?
9
http://interviewquestions68.blogspot.com/2017/03/tips-to-answer-your-
greatest-weakness.html

5. What is your greatest weakness? (continue…)
Tips to answer this question:
• Show that you are aware of your
weakness and what you have done to
overcome it.
• Show that you are “self-aware” and that
you have the ability to take steps to
improve yourself.
• Don’t you DARE answer with the cliche
“I’m a perfectionist” answer or any other
such answer that the hiring manager can
see right through.
• Don’t highlight a weakness that is a core
competency of the job. (Know the job
description “inside and out”.)
• Don’t dodge this question. 10

6. practical nurse question: Do you find that communication
skills are important for a school nurse?
Communication and
interpersonal skills are of the
utmost importance. Nurses
must communicate effectively
with senior medical personnel
and the school staff. But they
must especially be good at
communicating with school
children.

7. practical nurse question: What is your greatest strength?
This is your time to shine. Just
remember the interviewer is looking
for work related strengths. Mention a
number of them such as being a good
motivator, problem solver, performing
well under pressure, being loyal,
having a positive attitude, eager to
learn, taking initiative and attention to
detail. Whichever you go for, be
prepared to give examples that
illustrate this particular skill.
12
Related post: Tips to answer question: What is your greatest strength?
http://interviewquestions68.blogspot.com/2017/03/tips-to-answer-your-greatest-
strength.html

8. practical nurse question: What measure or measures do
you take as a school nurse to prevent disease among
children?
Most importantly, nurses keep a
sharp eye out for signs and
symptoms of disease or any
health problems. If they notice
anything suspicious they report
it to parents, with a written
recommendation to visit a
specialist. Other preventive
measures are vaccines
administered at school, and
health education for the
children.

9. Why did you leave your last job?
Here you will need to be careful as
there are many possible answers you
could use, just remember to NEVER
talk negatively about any prior or
current employer to a potential
employer. No one wants to think that
in a few years’ time you could be
saying the same about them. A
possible reason could be to say you
were looking for better opportunities,
for you to grow professionally, or you
were looking for the chance to work
abroad.
14
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10. Why are you interested in this particular nursing job?
Again prepare for this by finding out as
much as possible about the job and the
facility. Demonstrate why this job is the
one you particularly want using this
background research. For example:
"I am specifically looking for a position
in a facility like this because of it's
excellent emergency care ....."

11. Why should we hire you?
This is a differentiation question. What you want to tell them is: they'd
be crazy not to they hire you.
Focus on them: You need to only share how you meet almost all the
criteria they seek, and also have two to three additional abilities that they
might not even know they need…yet. They need to know you are a
candidate who can not only meet their needs now, but will also be
valuable for where they want to go in the future.
Are they likely to need another skill set as they grow as a company?
Or maybe you have skills that you noticed are in another job description
they are looking to fill?
You can help out with those deliverables until they find someone (or be a
backup to the person they hire).
Have you been down a path already that they are currently starting?
Having “lessons learned” to offer them is a very strong plus for a job
candidate. 16

12. Why did you choose your specialty area of nursing?
Whether the area of specialization
is ER, Occupational Health,
Community Health, ICU or any
other, the key to answering
interview questions about your
nursing career choice is to be
very specific about why you
chose it. What influenced you in
your choice? How did you
explore your options? Highlight
how your strengths are best
utilized in this area and how it
suits your personal competencies.

13. What is your greatest accomplishment?
This is somewhat similar to the “what
is your greatest strength?” question
and can be handled along the same
lines. You want to pick an
accomplishment that shows you have
the qualities that the company puts
value in and that are desirable for the
position you’re interviewing for.
The fact is you may have several
accomplishments you could pick
from. Pick one that will have the most
impact.
18
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13. What is your greatest accomplishment? (continue)
- Talk about an accomplishment that
exhibits how you will be a perfect fit for the
company and for the position you’re
interviewing for.
- Try and show some genuine passion when
you’re talking about your accomplishment.
- Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your
accomplishment is “too small”. The fact is,
relating a small accomplishment that is
inline with “what the company values” can
be more powerful than an unrelated
accomplishment.
19
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14. Describe a decision
you had to take
quickly regarding a
patient.
This nursing question is
looking at your judgment.
Take the interviewer
through the process you
used to evaluate the
situation and the criteria
you used to make your
decision. Show how you are
able to rapidly assess the
situation and then commit
to the most appropriate
action.

15. What can we expect from you in your first 90 days?
Ideally the answer to this should come from the employer: they should
have plans and expectations for you.
But if you're asked, use this general framework:
• You'll work hard to determine how your job creates value -- you won't
just stay busy, you'll stay busy doing the right things.
• You'll learn how to serve all your constituents -- your boss, your
employees, your peers, your customers and suppliers and vendors...
• You'll focus on doing what you do best -- you'll be hired because you
bring certain skills, and you'll apply those skills to make things
happen.
• You'll make a difference -- with customers, with other employees, to
bring enthusiasm and focus and a sense of commitment and
teamwork...
• Then just layer in specifics that are applicable to you and the job.
21

16. Tell us about a time
where you disagreed
with a colleague over the
management of a
patient.
Are you able to work as part of
a team? Do you display
sufficient maturity in dealing
with health care colleagues?
What resources did you use to
diffuse the situation- listening
to your colleague's reasons,
gathering information to make
sure you had sufficient
understanding of the situation.
Focus on what you, as a
nursing professional, learned
from the experience. Source: NurseTips360.info 22
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17. What are your salary expectations?
When completing your preparations for the interview, always have this
question in the back of your mind.
Have a look at the average salary for someone in this industry, area, and
who possesses similar skills to yourself, and you should get a basic idea.
But remember: this is only the first interview. You haven’t been offered
the job. There’s no need at this stage to be try and begin negotiations.
Giving a broad salary range will usually be enough to move on, but be
prepared to back it up if you need to.
Just don’t be tempted to sell yourself short. If you’re not sure where to
start, take a look at our average salary checker.
Right answer: A broad (but realistic) answer e.g. ‘I‘m looking for a
starting salary somewhere between £25,000 and £30,000’
Wrong answer: ‘I’m not sure. How much are you on?’
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negotiate-your-starting-salary 23

18. What changes have
you contributed to
established practices to
improve patient care?
Nursing interview questions like
this are designed to explore your
ability to show initiative and to
assess and implement new
procedures. It also looks at your
motivation to go beyond the
routine of your nursing job to
think about how you can
improve on current patient care
protocols. Important skills used
would include attention to
detail, close observation, critical
thinking and judgment.
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19. Do you have any questions?
Around 75 percent of job seekers will say
“Nope, I think that’s everything” to this
question. Terrible response.
This question gives you a fantastic
opportunity to stand out from the crowd and
show your knowledge and passion for the
company or organization you are interviewing
for. Always have a few questions prepared
and have one based around something you
found during your company research phase.
25
• Focus your questions on the company and what you can do for them.
• Ask about something you’ve discovered in your company research.
This will show your passion and knowledge of the company.
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19. Do you have any questions? (continue)
• Ask if there is any reason the hiring
manager wouldn’t hire you. (This
can be a little daunting to ask BUT
can really pay off. It allows you to
address something they may be
thinking in their head but haven’t
brought up.)
• Never say “No, I think I’m
good.” Always have questions
ready!
26
• Don’t focus your questions on yourself and what you can get from
them. (i.e.
• Don’t ask questions that you could easily find the answer to.
• Don’t ask about time off and benefits too early in the process.
• Don’t ask how soon you can start applying for other positions in the
company.

20. How would you deal with a doctor who was rude?
• I would bring the question to my
supervisor. If the doctor was displeased
with me in some way, I would want to
find out so I could take action to
rectify the situation.
• I would ask the doctor if there was
something in my care of the patient
that she felt needed discussion.
• If it were a one time occurrence, I
would figure that she was just having a
bad day. If it happened repeatedly, I
would notify my supervisor

21. Are you a team player?
Almost everyone says yes to this question. But it is
not just a yes/no question. You need to provide
behavioral examples to back up your answer.
A sample answer: "Yes, I'm very much a team
player. In fact, I've had opportunities in my work,
school and athletics to develop my skills as a team
player. For example, on a recent project…"
Emphasize teamwork behavioral examples and
focus on your openness to diversity of
backgrounds. Talk about the strength of the team
above the individual. And note that this question
may be used as a lead in to questions around how
you handle conflict within a team, so be prepared.
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22. Nursing work often involves a number of daily
frustrations. Tell me about some of the frustrations you
have dealt with recently.
Dealing with daily frustrations is part of
most jobs. Your examples should
highlight your ability to demonstrate
perseverance, reasonableness and
common-sense in the face of common
frustrations. Prove you are resilient and
able to deal with daily frustrations.

23. What challenges are you looking for in this position?
A typical interview question to determine what you
are looking for your in next job, and whether you
would be a good fit for the position being hired for,
is "What challenges are you looking for in a
position?"
The best way to answer questions about the
challenges you are seeking is to discuss how you
would like to be able to effectively utilize your
skills and experience if you were hired for the job.
You can also mention that you are motivated by
challenges, have the ability to effectively meet
challenges, and have the flexibility and skills
necessary to handle a challenging job.
You can continue by describing specific examples
of challenges you have met and goals you have
achieved in the past.
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24. What have been your most significant nursing job
accomplishments to date?
A good answer to the question about your
nursing job accomplishments can cinch
the job, so prepare extensively. This
would be a good place to insert into your
nursing job interview a two-minute story
that details achievements relating to this
particular travel nursing job. Highlight
personal involvement in a case or
situation: Describe how things were when
you arrived, how you affected change and
the measurable results. Discuss hard
work, long hours, pressure and any
important issues that were resolved.

25. What experience do you have in this field?
Hopefully if you're applying for this
position you have bags of related
experience, and if that's the case you should
mention it all. But if you're switching
careers or trying something a little different,
your experience may initially not look like
it's matching up. That's when you need a
little honest creativity to match the
experiences required with the ones you
have. People skills are people skills after all,
you just need to show how customer service
skills can apply to internal management
positions, and so on.
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26. Why do you want to work with us?
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More likely than not, the interviewer
wishes to see how much you know
about the company culture, and
whether you can identify with the
organization’s values and vision.
Every organization has its strong
points, and these are the ones that
you should highlight in your answer.
For example, if the company
emphasizes on integrity with
customers, then you mention that you
would like to be in such a team
because you yourself believe in
integrity.

27. Tell me a suggestion
you have made that was
implemented in this field?
It's important here to focus on the
word "implemented." There's
nothing wrong with having a
thousand great ideas, but if the only
place they live is on your notepad
what's the point? Better still, you
need a good ending. If your
previous company took your advice
and ended up going bankrupt, that's
not such a great example either. Be
prepared with a story about an idea
of yours that was taken from idea to
implementation, and considered
successful.
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28. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or
professor? How was it resolved?
Note that if you say no, most
interviewers will keep drilling deeper to
find a conflict. The key is how you
behaviourally reacted to conflict and
what you did to resolve it.
For example: “Yes, I have had conflicts
in the past. Never major ones, but there
have been disagreements that needed to
be resolved. I've found that when conflict
occurs, it helps to fully understand the
other person’s perspective, so I take time
to listen to their point of view, and then I
seek to work out a collaborative solution.
For example . . .”
Focus your answer on the behavioural
process for resolving the conflict and
working collaboratively. 35

29. Tell me what you know about this company?
Do your homework before you go
to any interview. Whether it's
being the VP of marketing or the
mailroom clerk, you should know
about the company or business
you're going to work for. Has this
company been in the news lately?
Who are the people in the
company you should know about?
Do the background work, it will
make you stand out as someone
who comes prepared, and is
genuinely interested in the
company and the job.
36
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30. What do you know about us?
Follow these three easy research tips before your next job interview:
1. Visit the company website; look in the “about us” section and
“careers” sections
2. Visit the company’s LinkedIn page (note, you must have a LinkedIn
account — its free to sign up) to view information about the company
3. Google a keyword search phrase like “press releases” followed by the
company name; you’ll find the most recent news stories shared by the
company
Remember, just because you have done your “homework”, it does not
mean you need to share ALL of it during the interview! Reciting every
fact you’ve learned is almost as much of a turn off as not knowing
anything at all! At a minimum, you should include the following in your
answer:
1. What type of product or service the company sells
2. How long the company has been in business
3. What the company culture is like OR what the company mission
statement is, and how the culture and/or mission relate to your values or
personality 37

31. If your previous co-workers were here, what would
they say about you?
Ok, this is not the time for full
disclosure. If some people from your
past are going to say you're a boring
A-hole, you don't need to bring that
up. Stay positive, always, and maybe
have a few specific quotes in mind.
"They'd say I was a hard worker" or
even better "John Doe has always
said I was the most reliable, creative
problem-solver he'd ever met."
38
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32. What major challenges
and problems did you
face? How did you handle
them?
With this question, the interviewer
is trying to understand how you
handle issues and problems.
- Can you figure out solutions and
workarounds when there is a
problem?
- How adept are you at problem-
solving?
- Do you enjoy a challenge, or do
you get nervous when there's a
glitch?
39
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33. Describe your management style?
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more
common labels, like progressive,
salesman or consensus, can have
several meanings or descriptions
depending on which management
expert you listen to. The situational
style is safe, because it says you will
manage according to the
Situation, instead of one size fits all.
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34. What did you like or
dislike about your previous
job?
What you liked - and what
you didn't like - about your
last job or the company you
worked for is an indicator of
how you might feel about
this position if you were to
be hired. Be careful what you
say when you're interviewing
for a role similar to your last
one. It's important to be
positive and enthusiastic
about the job for which
you're being considered.
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35. What types of people do you find it difficult to get
on with?
When asking this question, an employer isn’t
interested who you find it difficult to work
with. They want to know what you do to
ensure an effective working relationship with
such individuals  communication skills
A possible answer for this question could be:
“I get on with all types of people, but get
frustrated when working with those who don’t
share my work ethic.
In these situations, I find that by developing a
good rapport the person, letting them know
how important their contribution is to getting
the job done, and appealing to their better
nature………things get done.”
42
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36. How are you when
you're working under
pressure?
Once again, there are a
few ways to answer this
but they should all be
positive. You may work
well under pressure, you
may thrive under pressure,
and you may
actually prefer working
under pressure. If you say
you crumble like aged
blue cheese, this is not
going to help you get your
foot in the door.
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37. What have you done to improve your knowledge in
the last year?
Try to include improvement
activities that relate to the job. A
wide
variety of activities can be
mentioned as positive self-
improvement.
Have some good ones handy to
mention.
44
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38. What have you
learned from mistakes
on the job?
Here you have to come up with
something or you strain
credibility. Make
it small, well intentioned
mistake with a positive lesson
learned. An
example would be working too
far ahead of colleagues on a
project and
thus throwing coordination off.
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39. Describe your dream job?
Three words describe how you should
answer this question: Relevance,
relevance, relevance.
But that doesn't mean you have to make
up an answer. You can learn something
from every job. You can develop skills in
every job. Work backwards: Identify
things about the job you're interviewing
for that will help you if you do someday
land your dream job, and then describe
how those things apply to what you hope
to someday do.
And don't be afraid to admit that you
might someday move on, whether to
another company or -- better job -- to
start your own business. Employers no
longer expect "forever" employees. 46

40. Tell me about any
issues you've had with a
previous boss?
Arrgh! If you fall for this one
you shouldn't be hired anyway.
The interviewer is testing you to
see if you'll speak badly about
your previous supervisor. Simply
answer this question with
extreme tact, diplomacy and if
necessary, a big fat loss of
memory. In short, you've never
had any issues.
47
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Source: NurseTips360.info

40 practical nurse interview questions and answers pdf

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40 practical nurse interview questions and answers pdf