How to Crush a Nursing Interview


Congratulations! You did it! 

You passed nursing school, quite easily the hardest four years of your life. You passed the Nclex. So the next step is to apply for a job and get an interview and land the job you have been dreaming about. With a little preparation, confidence, and the perfect outfit you will breeze through the interview and be a registered nurse in no time. In this blog post, I will give you tips on how to dress for success, prepare a portfolio to wow the nurse manager, prepare for common interview questions, and answers to nail the interview questions.

So let's get started!

 1. Dress for success

 interview-outfits-do's-don'ts

You only have one opportunity to make a fantastic first impression, so what better way to accomplish this than an awesome interview outfit. It is always a good idea to prepare the outfit ahead of time, so you are not scrambling to throw it together. Make sure you have plenty of time to groom yourself in the morning, if you put on to make sure it is light and professional, with your hair neatly cut and kept away from your face. Your nails should be short and either unpainted or painted with clear nail polish. Although it might be common sense to look your best while interviewing there are certain clothing choices you should never wear. These include 
  • Flip-flops or sneakers.
  • Underwear (bras, bra straps, briefs, boxers, etc.) that is visible to others. Avoid wearing any undergarments that show outside of your clothing, even if your bra straps match your top.
  • Shorts.
  • Jeans.
  • Skirts that are too short.
  • Pants that are too low-rise, too distressed, or too tight.
  • Blouses that are too low-cut or too short. Your shirt should not show your cleavage or your belly.
  • If wearing low-rise pants, make sure the top of your underwear, especially if it's a thong-style garment, doesn't show above your pants' waistline.
  • Excessive perfume or cologne. 
  •  A variety of accessories, like large accent pieces or noticeable earrings.  
  • things-not-to-wear-for-interview

Check out this website for an outfit for more inspiration:
https://jseverydayfashion.com/home/2013/8/7/todays-everyday-fashion-what-to-wear-for-a-job-interview

2. What to bring to the interview: 
Top 9 Resume mistakes
Bring copies of all your paperwork, including your resume printed on high-quality paper, nursing license, BCLS,  ACLS, diploma, and any additional certification to the interview. You may also want to bring letters of reference, You may not need any of these documents, but having them goes a long way towards showing that you’re prepared and organized. Put all of these documents in an organized folder or binder for the nurse manager to look over. 

What else to bring: 
Bring a notepad and pen for your own use to takes notes. Taking a brief note at the right time implies deference and attention. 

A business card:
After a long day of interviewing different candidates for the job, the hiring managers may forget who you are and what you bring to the table. Giving the interviewer a business card goes a long way for a hiring manager and leaves a lasting impression. 

Image result for leather bound binder







3. Example interview questions:
Great answers to nurse interview questions fit what the job offer is searching for. A great way to find this information out is by looking at the Job description and the companies mission statement. After you are comfortable with what the job is requiring brainstorm your achievements that prove you are a great fit for the company. Then rehearse the answers until you feel 100% comfortable with them 
 



Some example questions are as follows: 


1. Why did you want to be a nurse?

2. Tell me about yourself.


3. Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult patient.


4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

5. How do you deal with the stress of nursing?


Think through these questions and have a perfectly well-rounded answer for each of them. Make sure your answer has real-life experience for each of the questions. While answering whatever question comes your way be confident and take time to pause and think to create your answer. 

Want more practice questions? Check out this website
Here are some last interview tips to help you land your dream job.
  • Know where you’re going.  Take a little time to learn your route before the interview.
  • Arrive early
  • Rehearse your nursing interview questions. Don’t just prep answers. Drill them until you can rattle them off at will.
  • Pamper yourself. Get plenty of sleep before your nursing interview. Make sure to eat and hydrate too.
Last but not least remember to BREATHE! You made it this far now all you have to do is show the interviewer your best self and a great way to do this is in a confident, calm, professional way. 

Nerves got the best of you? 

listen to a quick meditation before the big moment to center yourself and let the best you shine through. 






















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