General nurse interview questions will explore the following areas: Your training, qualifications and work experience

Where did you get your training and what qualifications and certifications do you have? Explain why you have chosen a specific area of practice. Be prepared to discuss your theoretical training as well as the practical component. Remember to take copies of your certifications with you. You will be asked nurse interview questions around your work experience based on the resume you have submitted. Prepare by carefully going through your resume beforehand. Be completely familiar with your tasks and responsibilities and the skills, abilities and knowledge you have gained. Anticipate the following type of questions: This nursing job requires training and experience in ......... Tell me how your training and experience fulfill this requirement. Ans: Working at the VA for the past 4 years in NY and now Florida has given me the opportunity to understand veterans and what they have given up to protect this country and me. They have given up a family life that I and many other citizens had and has the opportunity to have. Many have go to war and came back home to a broken family life; some spouses have gone on to live their lives without that vet who has gone to war to defend this country and therefore leaving them with nothing, no wife, no home no children. With this knowledge and my professional training I will able to understand and give the support and empathy they need to heal and go back into society.

Your resume shows that you have knowledge of ........ Please tell me more about your experience in this area. What is your experience in ..... Tell me in some detail how you went about performing this task? In answering these nurse interview questions highlight special achievements and the acquisition of specific skills and abilities. Use the opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to nursing. Speak positively about your experiences and previous employers. Keep your answer relevant to the requirements of the nursing opportunity. Typical nurse interview questions

By preparing answers to the most common nursing interview questions, you will be able to give effective and convincing answers that set you apart as an excellent candidate for the nursing job. Why are you the right person for this nursing job? Highlight why your training and experience qualify you for this specific nurse job. Prepare for this beforehand by closely reviewing the key job requirements and matching the relevant skills and abilities you have gained to these. Provide specific examples of these skills when answering this question. Use your background research to show your understanding of the key challenges faced by this organization. Detail how you can help meet these challenges and be part of the solution. 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 ....." What have been your most significant accomplishments to date? Describe achievements that relate to this nursing job. Take specific examples and describe how your approach benefited the patient and/or facility. What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses as a nursing professional? Prepare three or four key strengths that relate closely to the job you are interviewing for. Reinforce each strength with a concrete example. Go to What are your strengths? to help you with this questions. Be honest about your weaknesses, show you have the maturity and insight to recognize your areas for improvement. State a weakness and then discuss how you are managing it and the improvements you have made so far. What are your future goals? Your answer should show your commitment to this job and facility. You can explain how this nursing job meets your long term objectives by providing an opportunity to grow

and develop your nursing skills.

Be realistic and select reasonable, achievable goals otherwise you will come across as a bit of a dreamer. Why are you leaving your present job? Explain how this opening provides a new challenge and opportunity. Avoid criticizing your former employer or colleagues and giving a negative reason for leaving. Focus on the positive possibilities that will come with a move to a new nursing job. What do you consider the most important qualities for this nursing job? Make your answer relevant to the specific nursing job. For example common qualities required for successful performance as an ER Nurse include adaptability, resilience, critical thinking, organization and planning, emotional stability and high stress tolerance. What did you like and dislike about your previous position? The interviewer is evaluating your suitability and compatibility with this nursing opportunity. General likes that are applicable to most nursing jobs include learning opportunities, professional growth, job diversity and directly contributing to improving patient care. The dislikes should not refer to characteristics of the nurse job you are interviewing for. Stay away from reasons that involve common working conditions such as overtime. Avoid criticisms of your previous employer but refer to the absence of something that you want in your job such as the opportunity to use your initiative more or learn new skills. Motivation for the nursing job 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 nurse 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. Why do you want to work in our hospital and/or community? Use your background research to support your answer. Look at aspects such as the commitment to health care provision, innovations in patient care, the community it serves. How do you stay current with the nursing profession? Nurse interview questions about your motivation to learn and stay updated are important indicators of your commitment to nursing as a career. Examples include attending

conferences, subscribing to professional nursing journals, joining relevant forums and groups and conducting online research. What are the biggest challenges facing nursing today? Health care systems globally are struggling to meet the demands of the populations they serve. One of the major problems is the current shortage of trained nurses. Use your interview answer to demonstrate that you have thought about this issue and offer up some reasons as to why there is such a shortage of skilled nurses. Possible reasons include low nursing school enrollment due to poor perceptions of nursing as a fairly rewarded career and nurses leaving the profession before retirement age due to job dissatisfaction. You need to be able to show your interest in nursing as a career by demonstrating that you have thought about the current and future issues facing nurses. A number of nurse interview questions will be competency-based or behavioral interview questions. Go to this section to view common behavioral questions asked in a nursing interview with answer guidelines. Prepare a list of good questions to ask in your interview. Nurse Interview Tips Practice answering these sample nurse interview questions in mock sessions with a colleague, friend or relation until you feel comfortable about handling your nursing job interview.

Telephone Interview Techniques for Success Find the best place to take the call Make sure you have a quiet place to take the phone interview call where you will not be disturbed. It should be comfortable to sit or stand and have a table where you can lay out your portfolio and papers. You need to be able to easily go through your notes, take notes and concentrate. If you are at work make sure you can talk freely. Avoid taking the call where there is too much background noise. Get rid of all distractions If you have a scheduled time for your telephone interview make sure all distractions are dealt with beforehand. Turn off the TV, radio and your computer.Let the rest of the household know that you need a quiet period and not to interrupt you.

If you receive the call unexpectedly ask the interviewer for a moment to organize yourself and get rid of all distractions. Try to reschedule if the phone interview comes at an awkward time If an interview call catches you at a really difficult moment it is in your best interests to try and reschedule it. Tell the interviewer you have a conflict and suggest a couple of possible times that you can call back. You will not come across as disinterested but rather as a candidate who wants to maximize this opportunity. Have all the necessary materials ready This is one of the most important phone interview tips. Have in front of you:  pen and paper

your portfolio or folder of information (company research, job posting, resume, interview answer notes, questions to ask)

your diary to schedule the next interview

View a list of questions to ask the interviewer during your phone interview. Prepare for these common phone interview questions using the answer guidelines provided. Make sure your posture allows for good breathing and voice projection techniques Some people suggest standing up during the phone interview makes the candidate sound more confident. However you should do what feels most comfortable and natural, keeping in mind you will want to refer to your notes and perhaps make notes too. If you do the phone interview sitting down make sure your posture is upright and attentive and not slumped down in your chair. Speak directly into the phone. Walking around while talking can cause breathlessness and takes away from the authority of your voice. Dress for the part This may sound like a strange phone interview tip! Even though the interviewer can't see you, dressing smartly to take the scheduled call makes you feel professional and prepared. You will automatically act and sound more serious and business-like during the telephone interview if you are dressed up for the call and not in your bathrobe!

Addressing the interviewer Use the interviewer's title and last name, Mrs Smith, unless they specifically ask you to call them by their first name. Be aware of your voice and tone. No smoking, chewing gum, eating or slurping coffee. However keep a glass of water handy so you can just wet your tongue and throat if they become dry. If you smile while you talk it will project a positive tone to the listener. Sound energetic and interested. Avoid "ers and ums", these are particularly noticeable on the phone. You can reduce this by having key words ready for your answers. Check your rate of talking Speak slowly and clearly. Phone interview tips always highlight that the candidates fail when they tend to dominate the conversation. Avoid interrupting the interviewer. Make sure they have finished speaking before you start your response by waiting a few seconds before you answer. Allow yourself time to collect and organize your thoughts before answering. Use the technique of rephrasing or repeating questions to give yourself time to think about your answer. Don't feel you have to fill the silences

Master the Phone Interview

About the Phone Interview This is a common error made by candidates on the phone. Because Phone Interview Questions they cannot see what the interviewer is doing during the silence they feel compelled to fill it with babble! If you have completed your answer and the interviewer is quiet it is probably because they are making notes or sorting through their questions. Allow time for this. Avoid yes and no answers Always try to include more information that highlights your suitability for the position. Close the call End off with a good question for the interviewer. Restate your interest in the company and position. Reaffirm your suitability and that you would appreciate an opportunity to discuss the job further and in person.

If the interviewer asks you what salary you are looking for at the end of the phone interview you can reply by saying that you don't know enough yet about the job and company to realistically give a figure. This sets you up for the next stage. You can ask the interviewer what the time frame is for deciding who will be interviewed face-to-face. Make a note to follow up. Hang up only after the interviewer has. After the call Essential phone interview tips include sending a thank you note. Immediately after the phone interview send a thank you either by post or email. Make sure you get the correct name of the interviewer, check with the company switchboard if you are unsure. Something along these lines would be appropriate. "I appreciate the time you took on the phone with me today. I enjoyed our discussion and look forward to learning more about the position and company at an on-site interview. Thank you for your efforts and I look forward to hearing from you." Follow the phone interview tips to handle the phone interview like a proper professional and stand out as the candidate they want.