1. Tell me why do you want to be a nurse?
Most people are going to answer something along the lines of “Because I like nursing.” This is fine but a bit boring. You should use anecdotes and stories about your personal experience to liven up your response so that you seem more like a person than a nursing automaton regurgitating memorized information.
2. Tell me what motivates you to work in the nursing field?
Critical situations and tough patients motivate me. In my last job, I was confronted with a patient, who was not handled by a number of nurses, later I took charge of him and solved his problem by understanding his situation. I really love to overcome challenges.
3. What is your greatest failure as Practical Nurse?
In my first job, I made a mistake in the patient's chart. Fortunately, my supervisor noticed it. Since then, I always double- check my charts.
4. Explain me do you have experience working as part of a team or managing a team?
Practice nurses are not usually required to be strong team leaders. It's usually the practice nurses themselves who are led as part of a team. They receive instructions from senior personnel and help them.
5. Tell me what is the most difficult part of being a nurse?
According to me, the most intricate part of being a nurse is having a patient, who suffers from an incapacitating disease, which is incurable.
6. Tell me do you have any professional affiliations?
Absolutely, I feel it's important to stay informed about trends and news in the nursing profession. I'm a member of the [insert association here], and the [insert association here].
7. Please explain what your current/former boss would say about you?
The interviewer is basically looking for clues that will shed light on your work ethic and interpersonal skills. Direct quotes work well. "Jill always said I was dependable" is a direct quote that says a lot.
8. Tell me what do you find most difficult about being a nurse?
I think for me, the most difficult part of being a nurse, is when I have a patient that is very uncomfortable, or in a lot of pain, and I cannot comfort them.
9. Tell me how would you know you were successful on this Licensed practical nurse job?
There are several ways to assess: You set big challenges for yourself and met them. Your achievement is a big success. Your boss told you that you were successful.
I am sure that I was successful. I have dreamt to work for your company and I can do anything to make my dream become true. And I am really interested in this job, for my passion not for money.
10. How much will I make as Practical Nurse?
This is a highly inappropriate question to ask, especially during a first interview. Asking this question can lead the interviewer to believe that salary is more important to you than the actual position… not a good impression to make. Unless the interviewer brings up salary, be patient with this as well.
