How Hard is a Nursing Job Interview – (10 Biggest Challenges & How to Overcome)


Written By: Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA

Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »»
RN, BSN, MBA


Whether you are a new nurse or an experienced nurse, preparing for a nursing job interview can be a bit overwhelming. You may wonder, “How hard is a nursing job interview?” or question what you can do to help prepare for an interview. As a nurse, I understand the struggle and appreciate the effort that goes into preparing for a successful interview. In this article, I will share the 10 biggest challenges you will face in a nursing job interview and how to overcome them. With this simple guide, you can prepare for your interview with confidence and find the job you want!



Is a Nursing Job Interview Hard?


Nursing job interviews are important and, therefore, may leave you feeling a nursing job interview is hard. I understand the anxiety or nervousness you may feel when preparing for an interview.

I remember my first nursing job interview after graduating nursing school. I knew the person interviewing me personally, but I was still so nervous that I almost cancelled the interview! Thankfully, I mustered up the courage to go and, of course, got the job. It was a wonderful first nursing job which led to some great learning experiences and opportunities.

Feeling anxious is normal, but it does not mean you cannot ace your interview and land the job you want where you can learn and grow. Being aware of possible interview challenges and preparing to meet them will help you overcome and do well in your interview.


How Hard is a Nursing Job Interview?

(The following are the 10 biggest challenges you will face in a nursing job interview and ways you can successfully overcome them.)


CHALLENGE #1: Overcoming Interview Anxiety


About the Challenge:

One of the biggest challenges that makes a nursing job interview hard is overcoming anxiety about the interview. It is normal to feel anxious, but there are a few things you can do to help relieve some of your anxiety.

How to Overcome:

Each of us experiences and deals with anxiety differently. While you may not be able to prevent feeling anxious, you can take a few steps to help reduce the effects of anxiety on your interview. When I feel anxious, I like to take a few minutes to read a motivational or inspirational book or simply sit on my back porch where it is quiet. After I take a few minutes to relax and gather my thoughts, I prepare for the task ahead. Also, if you take the time to prepare for your interview ahead of time, it can help to alleviate some of your anxiety. For example, consider practicing possible interview questions or acting out a mock interview with a friend or loved one. Also, arrive a few minutes early to ensure you have plenty of time to get there without rushing, which is another source of anxiety. It is always better to be early than run the risk of being late, as it shows professionalism.


CHALLENGE #2: Being Able to Explain Your “Why”


About the Challenge:

A common question employers ask job candidates is, “Why did you become a nurse?” It can feel challenging answering this question because you want to impress the prospective employer, but being “over the top” with an answer just to try to impress them could backfire on you.

How to Overcome:

As someone who used to conduct interviews, I can tell you that hiring nurse managers look for candidates with a true passion for the job. Avoid mentioning that you became a nurse because you want to make good money. Instead, you could say that you wanted to find a stable career that allows you to demonstrate your care and concern for others and that you feel nursing is a great way to accomplish that.


CHALLENGE #3: Answering Questions About Why It Is Hard Being a Nurse


About the Challenge:

Another thing interviewers often ask is why you think being a nurse is hard or what makes nursing challenging. Because you want to come across as having a positive attitude and outlook toward nursing, it is crucial that you weigh your words carefully before answering this question.

How to Overcome:

One of the reasons nursing job interviews are hard is that we feel like we must come up with the perfect answer to each question. When an interviewer asks you why being a nurse is hard, for example, it is natural to want to give the vibe of being a "super nurse" and say that it is not challenging. Anyone who has been a nurse for any time knows that is not true.

Think about the challenges of nursing and why you keep going and pursuing the job despite those challenges, then answer the question. For example, you may mention that one of the things about being a nurse that is hard is knowing that patients die despite our best efforts. Then, follow up that statement and say that it is a good feeling knowing you can be there for patients and their loved ones during their most difficult times. This is important because interviewers like to know that despite the challenges of nursing, you find purpose in what you do.

One story comes to mind that relates to this situation. When my son was born, he spent a little over a week in the NICU due to a collapsed lung. While there, of course, I was devastated. One day, one of the nurses sat down beside me and said, “Honey, look at your baby. He is one of the healthiest babies here. He is thriving and will be home soon.” I asked the nurse how he did his job day in and day out with all those sick babies and how he handled knowing that many of those babies would never go home. He looked me in the eye and said, “I just do it. I am here when no one else is. When their parents cannot handle the fact that their baby won’t make it, I just sit here and hold them and rock them until they do not need to be held or rocked anymore.” Any time I thought of my nursing job being hard, I remembered that nurse and was reminded that even though some days as a nurse are hard, we make a difference.


CHALLENGE #4: Learning to Sound Confident but Not Arrogant


About the Challenge:

In nursing school, we learn the importance of being confident and trusting our gut instincts. While self-confidence is a great characteristic, it is vital to know where confidence and arrogance meet and be careful not to cross that line.

How to Overcome:

The easiest way to overcome this challenge is to be yourself. Refrain from trying to fit into a mold of what you think the employer is looking for in a candidate. Be positive, show your passion and personality, and be authentic.


CHALLENGE #5: Talking About Your Strengths


About the Challenge:

Many hiring managers ask candidates to describe their strengths and how they can use them in the job they are applying for. Some nurses find it difficult to talk about strengths as it makes them feel like they are bragging or boasting, which can make it feel like the nursing job interview is hard. Without fail, when I interviewed for a new job, I always felt nervous about sharing what I felt were my strengths. I knew what I was good at it, but I had this fear of saying I was good at something, then falling on my face and messing up and making a fool of myself. It took some time to realize that we all have those feelings, but it is okay to have confidence in what we know and to express that confidence in our strengths. When you approach questions about your strengths with the right attitude, you have the power to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the job.

How to Overcome:

You do not have to have a list of dozens of strengths to get your point across during your job interview. Instead, think about a few things you do well and how you can use your strengths in those areas to be an asset in the job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a nurse team leader position, the ability to strategize, a commitment to excellence, coaching and staff development, and good team-building skills are excellent strengths to mention. If you apply for a role as a bedside nurse, be sure to mention that you work well with a team, have excellent communication skills, and are good at prioritizing.


CHALLENGE #6: Knowing When to Use Personal Experience as a Qualifying Factor


About the Challenge:

Using personal experience as a qualifying factor to show you are the best candidate for a job is excellent... IF your experiences are positive. However, if you have had bad experiences at work or do not have a good work history, you could find that using your personal experience as a qualifying factor could make nursing job interviews hard.

How to Overcome:

If you plan to share personal experiences in your interview, make sure they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. Also, it is vital that any experiences you reference can be verified. In other words, do not make up things to make yourself look good in the interview. Avoid using personal experiences about legal issues, family troubles, or relationship problems, as they seem like a bit much for the interview.


CHALLENGE #7: Describing Long-Term Career Goals


About the Challenge:

Another challenge that can make nursing job interviews hard is describing long-term goals. Having goals is not usually a challenge but describing them without sounding either overzealous or undermotivated can be challenging for some.

How to Overcome:

When an interviewer asks you about long-term career goals, this is not a trick question. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities understand there are many options for growth and development for nurses and often create opportunities to facilitate them, which increases employee retention rates. The interviewer may ask about your career goals to see how you fit into the organization's plans. While you may think twice about telling an interviewer, "In five years, I see myself having your job," you could say, "I’d like to think in five to ten years, I will have proven myself to be a valuable part of the team here."


CHALLENGE #8: Overcoming Self-Criticism


About the Challenge:

Not only do interviewers ask about your strengths, but they may also ask you to describe your weaknesses. For some nurses, describing your weaknesses goes along the same lines as self-criticism. However, they are not the same. In fact, many employment strategists indicate being self-critical can be considered a weakness by prospective employers.

How to Overcome:

We all have areas that could use a little improvement. The whole idea behind asking you to share your weaknesses is to see if you can identify your own weaknesses and what, if anything, you have learned from them. Common weaknesses people report in job interviews include procrastination, anxiety with public speaking, difficulty delegating tasks, being a perfectionist, and overthinking. If you can relate to some of these, think of how those weaknesses impact your personal and professional life, what you have learned from them, and how recognizing your own weaknesses has helped you to become a good nursing leader. (As a note, never say you do not have weaknesses because we ALL do.)


CHALLENGE #9: Focusing Too Much on Personal or Professional Weaknesses


About the Challenge:

It is one thing to discuss strengths and weaknesses when an interviewer asks you about them. However, it is something altogether different when you find it challenging to shift your focus from the negatives to something positive. Focusing too much on weaknesses can make it appear that you have a pessimistic attitude, which is not a characteristic employers look for in nurse candidates.

How to Overcome:

When people are nervous, they often try to lighten the mood by making jokes, especially about themselves. I must admit, I used to be so guilty of this. I had such anxiety when it came to meeting new people, interviewing for jobs, or doing anything that caused attention to be drawn to me. I often made jokes about myself. I think I felt like if I made jokes to make people laugh, it was better than them laughing at me because I did something foolish. Unfortunately, in job interviews, taking a jab at yourself usually makes it look like self-criticism and appears as if you are more focused on the negatives than positives. Therefore, it is important to find ways to talk about weaknesses without making them your main focus. To overcome this challenge, only discuss weaknesses if the interviewer asks you about your weaknesses. Even then, be brief and be sure to explain what you learned from your experiences and how you feel you can apply those lessons to help you succeed.


CHALLENGE #10: Learning Not to Be Overly Assertive


About the Challenge:

Preparing for a nursing job interview can be nerve-wracking, to say the least. You want to say and do the right things to impress the interviewer, and you need confidence to do that. One of the most important things you can do is to be confident. However, you must learn to show confidence without being so assertive that it seems overpowering. For some people, this is one of the things that makes nursing job interviews hard.

How to Overcome:

Having worked in administrative positions, I appreciate candidates who are confident in their knowledge and skills. As nurses, confidence is essential. I also understand that it is easy for confidence to come across as being overly assertive if we are not careful. Overcoming this challenge is simpler than you may think. Be positive, open, and honest, but do not try to oversell yourself. When an interviewer asks questions, answer them directly without adding too much unnecessary information, as this can come across as being pushy.



My Final Thoughts


If you are a nurse looking for a new job or considering transitioning to a new role, preparing for a job interview can be overwhelming. Everyone deals with the stress of interviews differently, but just how hard is a nursing job interview? In this article, I shared the 10 biggest challenges you will face in a nursing job interview and how to overcome them. Being aware of possible challenges can help you prepare early and find ways to overcome the challenges so you have a successful interview and get the job you want.


Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and Allied Health educator with over twenty years of experience. She has assisted in developing curriculum for nursing programs and has instructed students at both community college and university levels. Because of her love of nursing education, Darby became a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach and assists nursing graduates across the United States who are preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).