Here's a list of 120 nursing school interview questions. If you're interested in seeing sample answers to the bolded questions, check out How to Ace the Nursing School Interview. 

Traditional Open-Ended Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• What made you want to become a nurse?
• Tell us why you would be the best candidate for our nursing program?
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
• What will you do if you are not accepted into nursing school this year?
• What does the word success mean to you?
• Why would you like to attend our program?
• What type of nurse do you want to be?
• Why should we admit you? What makes you a strong candidate for nursing school?
• When did you decide on nursing as a profession?
• Describe your experiences related to nursing.
• How you have prepared for nursing school?
• How has your experience and education prepared you for nursing school?
• How did you choose your undergraduate school and your major? 
• What is your second career choice if you do not get into nursing school?
• Why do you want to go to this school? What do you know about this nursing school?
• What criteria are you using to evaluate potential nursing schools?
• Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?
• Is there anything else you want to tell me and the admissions committee?
• What are some of your hobbies or passions?
• Tell us why you'd be the best candidate for our nursing program.
• What qualities do you have that will make you an effective and successful nurse?
• What are your plans in the short term and the long term?
• Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
• How would you describe your ideal job? Your ideal work environment?
• Who are your career role models and why?
• What are the most important lessons you've learned in your career?
• Do you have any time-management tricks others could benefit from?
• Have you ever done any volunteer work? If so, what was it like?
• What would a background check on you show?
• What do you know about nursing?
• Have you considered being a doctor?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Personality / Involvement Questions

SEE ALSO: Nursing School Interview Questions and Answers

• What are your greatest strengths?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• What is your proudest achievement to date?
• What qualities do you think a good nurse should possess?
• How do you respond to stress? Do you feel like you have a high-stress life?
• What activity have you done during your time in college that has been most beneficial to your personal development?
• If your friends were to describe you, what would they say?
• What qualities do you have that will help make you a good nurse? 
• Describe what you are doing to improve two of your weaknesses. Be specific.
• If you caught a fellow student cheating on a test, what would you do?
• Describe your greatest strengths and skills. Give me detailed examples of each one.
• If you see a classmate stealing, what would you do?
• A nurse at a clinical practicum site is acting unethically. What would you do?
• What would your previous bosses or classmates say about you?
• What would you do if you find yourself struggling in a nursing course?
• What would you do if you have a conflict with a professor?
• What is your proudest achievement to date?
• What was the most difficult situation you had in the past? How did you overcome it?
• Who are your career role models and why?
• How do you set priorities in your work?
• What type of management style do you work with best?
• How would your peers describe you?
• What's your most important achievement as a student?
• Name one bad quality and one good quality about yourself.

Behavioral Interview Questions

• What would you do if a patient threatened you?
• Are you comfortable with taking on a leadership role?
• Your supervisor comes to you and your co-workers and tells you that a new change in policy is effective immediately. You do not think the change can be implemented due to logistics. What do you do?
• Tell me about a time when you made a mistake and how did you deal with it?
• Tell me about a time when you were put in a stressful situation and how did you handle that?
• Tell me about a time when someone who didn’t know you didn’t like you. How did you deal with that?
• Tell me about a time when a barrier challenged your ability to communicate with another. How did you work around that?
• Tell me about a time you believe you made a difference with a patient. What type of
• challenges did you face? What did you do? What did you contribute to the situation?
• Describe an accomplishment. What did you do to make that happen? Be specific.
• Tell me about a time when you were (or you were not) satisfied with your performance.
• Give me an example of a time you had to make an ethical decision.
• Describe a problem you had in a health care setting. Tell me how you went about solving it.
• What was the biggest challenge you faced when you were a hospice volunteer?
• Describe a challenging situation you faced with a patient and their family.
• Describe a time when you did (or did not) perform well in a stressful situation.
• Describe how you dealt with the grief you experienced as a hospice volunteer.
• Describe your biggest challenge in preparing for nursing school. How did you overcome it?
• Describe a time when you volunteered or worked as a member of an interdisciplinary health care team. Describe your role. What did you contribute? What challenges did you face?
• Tell me about a situation when you were part of a team and a team member was not performing their role as expected. What did you do? What were the results?
• Describe a time when you worked as a member of a team. What was your contribution?
• Describe a time you successfully managed multiple tasks. How did you prioritize?
• Describe a recent problem you attempted to solve using a systematic and logical process.
• Tell me how you handled a conflict with a co-worker. What did you learn from that?
• Tell me about a weakness you used to have. What did you do to improve that skill?
• Tell me about a time when you made suggestions for improving a process or procedure.
• How were you effective in your most recent volunteer experience? What challenges did you have to overcome? What did you contribute? What did you learn?
• Describe a situation where you took the initiative and went beyond what was expected of you
• in order to complete a work project or class assignment.
• Tell me about a time when you utilized good listening skills and empathy.
• Describe a time when you effectively interacted with people from diverse backgrounds in a health care environment. What were the challenges and how did you handle them?
• Can you give an example of a time you were a leader?
• Can you give some examples of your problem-solving skills?
• How do you handle a request you disagree with?
• What happened the last time you put your foot in your mouth?
• Who is the most difficult person you've ever worked with and why?
• Can you describe a situation in which you dealt with a difficult family member?
• Can you describe a time you went beyond the call of duty?
• Can you describe a situation in which you thought that you were right and others were wrong—and what you did about it?
• Can you describe a situation in which you were supposed to work with a person you didn't like and how you handled it?
• Tell me about the first time you knew you wanted to be a nurse.

Interview Questions Specific to Nursing

SEE ALSO: Nursing School Interview Questions and Answers

• What would you do if you find yourself struggling in a nursing course?
• What do you think a nurse’s responsibilities are in today’s society?
• What area would you like to work in once you finish school, and why?
• What have you done to prepare to be a successful nursing student?
• What change would you like to see made in the current healthcare system?
• What resources do you use to keep current on trends in nursing?
• What criteria are you using to evaluate potential nursing schools?
• How did the nurses and doctors you volunteered with influence your outlook on the healthcare system?
• What is the role of a nurse?
• How did the nurses and doctors you volunteered with influence your outlook on health care?
• What problems and challenges do you anticipate during nursing school?
• What challenges do you think you will face during your nursing career?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses and how will they impact on being a student of nursing and professional nurse in the future?
• What do you think are the most challenging aspects of meeting patients' needs?
• Who is your role model as a person? As nurse? Why?
• What nursing publications do you subscribe to?
• How do you keep up with the latest information in your field?
• How would you rate yourself in communicating with patients—and with families?
• How do you motivate patients?
• Are you on-line often? What are your favorite sites for reliable health care information?
• Who would you consider a role model for nurses today?
• What does the word nurse mean to you?

SEE ALSO: Nursing School Interview Questions and Answers

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