Nursing Interview Questions – Flashcards

I consider myself to be very enthusiastic, determined and caring. I'm all about self-improvement and growth, always welcoming challenges and learning opportunities. I always strive to be a better version of myself in every aspect and this is evident in everything I do.

I chose Nursing for a variety of reasons but one of the main ones is because I believe the profession coincides with my personality, putting my best characteristics to good use. I'm very compassionate and nurturing, and have always wanted to devote myself to serving the public. It's a diverse and universal profession, applicable to many settings of practice. It is also challenging, satisfying my desire to learn and grow. Additionally, it is a holistic yet scientific profession, devoted to taking care of the person, not the disease, with evidence-based practice.

In five years, I see myself as proficient ICU nurse. Within these five years, I will also take the exam for the Critical Care RN (CCRN) certification, once eligible. I am definitely interested in becoming an Advanced Practice nurse but my main focus is gaining the experience I need to be a competent clinician. (Which type of APN? Once I being working, I will learn more about each type of APN, such as education or NP, and let my experience guide me from there.)

Simply put, I will feel great working in an ethically and religiously diverse environment. Given the fact that diversity in the US is rapidly increasing, cultural competence is a characteristics that all clinicians will need to possess in order to provide equal, high quality care. Therefore, working in a diverse setting or with diverse patient populations will increase the quality of care I provide, decrease discrepancies and, overall, make me a better nurse.

I am definitely a team player. I believe that the more minds, the better because each individual brings their own unique skillset and approach, maximizing outcome (and you learn more as well). Additionally, effective interdisciplinary collaboration has been shown to improve patient outcomes and benefit the institution as well. However, I am capable of working independently to complete tasks that don't require multiple people.

As I have learned throughout my nursing experiences at Penn, stress is inevitable. In high-stress situations, I always take a step back, take a few deep breathes, and identify the cause of the stress. Depending on the source, I approach it differently. If am overwhelmed by the amount of things I need to do, I organize and prioritize what I need to do and complete the tasks as efficiently as possible without compromising quality. If the source of stress is an irritable co-worker that I don't get along with, I don't mind sitting down with the person and asking how we can work together to do our jobs. But whatever the situation may be, my patient is always my number one priority, letting my patient's best interests guide my actions.

This spring, I had just arrived on the Heart and Vascular ICU at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and it was my second day there and I honestly didn't know much. I was assigned a patient with respiratory failure and they were being ventilated and sedated, as lung recovery was the main goal. As I began to perform my safety checks and physical assessment, the nurse I was working with told me he was going to eat and will be back. As I'm listening to his lungs, the pump started alarming because the versed had ran out. I spent about 5 minutes looking for my nurse, he was nowhere to be found and every other nurse was busy with their patients. I noticed a new bag was hanging, so I decided to start infusing it, however I was unsure what dosage to run it at but I put it at 2mg, like the orders said. However, in a few minutes, the patient became severely tachypneic and was breathing over the vent. The nurse finally arrived and reprimanded me for changing the dosage. Although I tried to explain the situation, he said that I shouldn't have done that and I'm not ready to be a nurse. However, when I approached him so we can talk through it, he confessed that he was feeling irritable for personal reasons and since that time, I always learned to never take things personal from your co-workers because you never know what's affecting them.

One past decision I always struggle with is not immediately going to college after high school. I am often hard on myself because I tell myself I could've been where I wanted to be already and I wasted a lot of time. But, I learned that discovering your true calling and passion in life isn't easy and requires serious thought and time. Now, I successfully obtained an education and will begin my career in a field I truly love. Essentially, I learned that I should be passionate about everything I do and to never do anything for the wrong reasons.

Patients and family members are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. As a nurse, I am there to be nothing but therapeutic, therefore I never escalate any situation. I never take anything personal because it is not about me, it's about them. I diffuse it by actively listening to their concerns, acknowledging their emotions and asking them what I can do to ameliorate the situation. I make sure to always maintain professionalism and avoid being over-apologetic. Ultimately, I do what is best for my patient and make sure the environment continues to be therapeutic and conducive to recovery.

I take a step back, analyze the situation and determine the most appropriate plan of action. If we are short-staffed and have to take an extra patient, I will modify my plan and focus on my priorities. If I have to give an unfamiliar treatment, I consult any available materials, such as nursing policies and procedures or manuals, and ask for help. Whatever the circumstance, I welcome a challenge and always make learning my main priority.

One area I've identified a need for improvement is being a perfectionist. I am often too critical of myself and my own work and, although it is beneficial, it sometimes goes to an extreme. I find that I sometimes waste time making sure that every detail is perfect, especially when I have other things to get done. Now that I am aware of this, I am learning to trust myself more (as long as it doesn't compromise the quality of my work) and accept the fact that perfection doesn't exist.

I consider myself to be assertive, caring and committed. I don't hesitate to take initiative when appropriate, many would call me a natural born leader. I am very caring and passionate and I make sure to transmit that whenever possible. Lastly, I am very determined and committed to the greater good. I always keep my goals in mind and work hard to achieve them.

What motivates me is knowing that I can become a better version of myself and recognizing that there is always something to improve while remaining true to your values. Life, and nursing as well, is a lifelong learning process and as long as there is room to grow, I personally make it my mission to propel myself forward.

Although uncertainty can cause anxiety, I welcome the unknown. I enjoy challenges and learning from them.

As a student nurse, I always started my day by prioritizing my patients by acuity. As for tasks, I organized them in order of importance and chronological order.

I plan my shift out utilizing a grid planner and modify it throughout the day when necessary. I write everything I need to get done down and I make sure to never procrastinate.

When beginning my career, I foresee needing a lot of supervision as I learn how to perform things on my own. As time passes by and I become independent, I will need less supervision.

My patients know that I am there for them and their needs, no matter how big or small. Often, patients feel as if they are a burden and I try to reverse this type of thinking as much as possible. I make sure they understand that I am there to listen to them, advocate for them and provide the best care possible.

There are a lot of reasons I would love to be a nurse at NYP. NYP supports new graduates through the UHC Nurse Residency Program. I believe that the additional support and education provided in the Residency Program will be immensely helpful as I'm transitioning from a new grad to a professional nurse. NYP is a Magnet organization, which means they are committed to nursing excellency and will pave the way so I can become an excellent nurse. Lastly, working at NYP will allow me to serve my native community, which is composed of a diverse population, enhancing my cultural competence.

"Our goal is to transform nursing so that when patients are seeking care, they are also thinking about the quality of nursing care they will receive. We want the patient to recognize the importance of nursing expertise. I want New York-Presbyterian to be known as the place where one goes to receive excellent nursing care. 'Excellent' by us doing the right thing for patients all of the time—with caring, compassion and competence." — Wilhelmina Manzano, MA, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. Vision: to be one of the leaders in nursing practice, quality, safety and outcomes, research, education and service excellence.

Policy, leadership, cultural competence, humble, multilingual, diverse

Starbucks, CVS, Brown Lab, Dr. Meyer

I expect to be paid a salary that takes into consideration the average market salary for this position, my level of experience and cost of living in NYC. Once the company decides that I am the right person for this position, I'm willing to discuss it in more detail.

Nursing of Women and Infants (Summer 2013) - this was my first clinical and it was more of an observational experience than anything else. We did not have patient assignments. Instead, we were assigned to a nurse and shadowed them the entire day. Our clinical group rotate on L;D, PP, Adolescent and NICU floors. Psychiatric Nursing (Fall 2013) - at Girard Medical Center and I worked with different patient populations (substance abuse, acute mental health disorders, long-term care and dual diagnoses). This course focused on developing therapeutic communication skills and relationships with patients. Pediatric Nursing (Fall 2013) - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This was the clinical where I first developed practical nursing skills. I cared for pediatric patients up to the age of 21 with CF and other pulmonary diseases. Medical-Surgical Nursing (Spring 2014) -HUP Bariatric Surgery and Transplant Unit. Developed time-management, began to think critically. Geriatric Nursing (Spring 2014) - HUP gen med unit. Cared for a diverse medical population (pulm, cardiac, renal, neuro and GI patients). Community Nursing (Fall 2014) - Main Line home health and UPEN LIFE Center. Cared for patients in home and community settings with a variety of chronic diseases. Developed autonomy and appreciation for public health. Senior Leadership (Spring 2015) - HVICU at PPMC. Cared for medical and surgical cardiopulmonary patients receiving life support therapies such as mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and continuous renal replacement therapy.

My experience at Penn Nursing was amazing. Faculty: The course directors at Penn Nursing are, not only knowledgeable, they are motivating, inspiring and extremely supportive of their students. Opportunities for Research: Faculty love working with students and there are so many opportunities to do research and get hands-on experience. Integrated Curriculum: Well-rounded education that emphasized leadership, research and interdisciplinary collaboration.

In CC, I have the opportunity to provide detailed care to 2 patients and get to know them inside out, an opportunity that isn't always available in other types of nursing. Before beginning my day, I like to know as much as possible and, in the ICU, I can do this. Also, I will learn to think critically, a skill that is extremely beneficial regardless of the type of nursing. I will be part of new trends (evidence-based practice), studies or technologies that are shaping our practice. Also, ICU nurses have more autonomy and I find the interprofessional collaboration to be more efficient and effective. Lastly, there is so much to learn (continuing education) and I will never stop wanting to learn.

Most of the nurses I have encountered have been inspiring, but one particularly comes to mind. I had the pleasure of working with this nurse multiple times during my rotation on the HVICU. I look up to her because she embodied patient safety, wasn't afraid to be assertive and take initiative and advocate for her patients. She was an exceptional problem solver. For example, we once cared for a patient that had been on the unit for at least 3 weeks, but this was our first time taking of him. PPMC uses a medication safety software where you have to scan the patient's ID band and then the medication. We discovered that his ID bands were not scanning properly and the system said the patient didn't exist. The nurse took it upon herself to do whatever she needed to do in order to fix the issue and she did. Overall, she is an amazing nurse and I hope to someday possess some of her qualities.

Impacting lives as a student. I once had a patient, during my rotation on a bariatrics surgery and transplant unit at the Hospital of UPenn during the Spring of 2014. He was waiting to receive a kidney transplant and was in fairly good health. There wasn't much clinical work to do, besides taking vital signs and giving a few oral meds, but we developed an amazing connection. He was alone for most of the time, since his wife worked a full time job and couldn't visit him frequently. We shared our life stories, laughed together and, honestly, even cried together. We even exchanged contact information and keep in contact. I will never forget him. Experiences like these remind me why I chose to become a nurse and I look forward to have many many more of these experiences throughout my career.

Community Nursing - I loved community nursing because it made me aware of the importance of Public Health and inspired me to make a change at a public and political level. It also incorporated global health, which is one of my areas of interest.

HVICU at PPMC - I am so grateful for having this clinical experience because the amount of knowledge I gained was incredible. I was able to learn things that isn't even a part of standard nursing education. This clinical not only but my practical skills, it furthermore developed my critical thinking, autonomy and advocacy. It was also a pleasure to work with the staff, they are all amazing.

History - Although I really enjoyed studying at Penn, my history class wasn't as enjoyable because I personally don't find history to be something I'm interested in as it isn't applicable to other aspects of my life. However, the professor was amazing and would recommend it to students interested in this subject.

First one - nursing of women and infants - it was purely an observational experience and, although I understand it was our first clinical, I would love to begin getting on hands experience doing basic things, such as getting a BP, or listening to lung sounds.

Having to communicate bad news to family members when nothing more can be done. The fact that everyone has a different style of communicating, makes it even more difficult. Some people prefer news direct, others don't want all of the details. Also, they think the medical team is giving up, which isn't the case.

I like to read nursing research journals, such as CCN, Journal of Nursing Management, etc., in addition to reviewing the materials from my nursing education. I'm passionate about learning and will continuously do so, even on my own time.

I currently don't belong to any professional organizations, but once I begin working (and can pay the membership fees), I plan to become a member of American Nursing Association, American Association of CC Nurses and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.

I believe that nursing is both an art and a science. The art to be kind, fair, respectful, selfless and humble, remembering to give that human touch to those in their time of need. The science to be knowledgeable, wise, and practical, to have the clinical prowess necessary of a well-rounded nurse. I also believe that nursing doesn't begin when you graduate nursing school or pass the NCLEX. It begins as soon as you realize that your personality coincides with the values of this profession. It takes a very special person to be a nurse.

A lot of the clinicians I have worked with have always loved to provide supplemental oxygen to their patients (even though their saturations are adequate), in efforts to help them breathe better. However, due to the fact that increased and prolonged oxygenation is linked to higher mortality rates, Therefore, I always make sure to avoid doing this if they don't need the supplemental oxygen.

Ensuring a safe environment. Nurses are at the frontline of providing care and are the last ones to ensure all orders are correct before administrating them. Therefore, I NEVER feel embarrassed to triple check my work and my actions. Although mistakes do happen, the last thing I want to do is jeopardize my patient's safety.

Since I am a new grad (limited experience), I find that delegating to unlicensed staff, such as patient care technicians, is a little difficult. But I am sure I will get more comfortable doing so once I begin working and have had the opportunity to develop a relationship with them.