How to Prepare for a Nursing School Entrance Interview

Choosing a nursing career is a service-oriented choice that can require more than a traditional degree program. Being accepted into a nursing school requires an interview with the admissions office. Getting into nursing school can prove to be difficult due to the competitive nursing school admission requirements. An increased number of nursing school applicants means interviewees need to be prepared and stand out. If you have been invited for a nursing school interview, you are in a position to lose or gain an admission based on how you perform at the interview. Proper preparation for the interview by preparing for nursing program interview questions may improve the chances of impressing an interviewer and getting admitted into nursing school.

Learning About the Nursing School

There are many ways to prepare for nursing school interviews. Just as an interviewee at a business might learn about the business, find out as much as you can about the chosen nursing school before the interview. Read up on and review the program and its requirements. Next, check out the school's demographics and what its placement rate is and its academic goals are. Being informed about the nursing school can make interview responses more intelligent and show awareness and interest in the program. If possible, go to the school to find out the interview location and any information about the physical location of the nursing school.

Nursing School Interview Questions

As you prepare for your interview, consider creating a list of possible nursing school interview questions that you may be asked at the interview. These samples might include questions like:

Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to be a nurse? How will you cope with nursing school academic and clinical demands? What are your weaknesses and strengths? Tell me about a situation where you dealt with an ethical dilemma?

When thinking about your responses to these questions, don't provide general or cliched answers. Just as with any interview, be specific and cite examples when possible to add memorable information to the interview. If you have time, try also setting up a mock interview. Have someone you are comfortable with ask you the questions you prepared, listen to your answers and then give you constructive feedback. A mock interview can help you get comfortable talking about yourself and answering questions.

Reviewing Medical Terminology Before Interviewing

When sitting down for your nursing school interview, it is also helpful to brush up on your medical and science terminology. The interviewer doesn't expect you to be able to have a full grasp of nursing techniques. However, having a general working knowledge of the nursing field with an awareness of some common nursing-related terms can be helpful during the interview to help you stand out from other candidates.

Nursing School Interview Tips

Before going to a nursing school interview, try creating a feeling of calm by practicing relaxation exercises at home. Look in a mirror and go over the answers to the nursing school interview questions you wrote down. As expected for a job interview, practice maintaining composure and looking confident. Finally, be punctual and professionally dressed for the nursing school interview. Nursing school interviewees should still conduct and portray themselves in a professional way to show they are serious in applying for admission to the program.