A nurse manager is responsible for many aspects of patient care, so it is important that an applicant is well-suited for an open position. The following nurse manager interview questions and answers will help you prove your leadership skills and your dedication to patient care.
What Methods Would You Use to Train New Nurses in a Facility?
As a nurse manager, you will be charged with the task of training new nurses and familiarizing them with the facility in which you work. Your methods will say a lot about your chances of being successful, so you should be sure to consider this carefully before answering. “I would first provide an explanation of what is expected of the new nurses as far as patient care, documentation and more. Next, I would provide a physical tour of the facility and explain daily operations. Finally, I would assess the nurses’ abilities during the first few days and provide insight and advice if anyone seems to be struggling in a particular area.”
What Do You Think Your Coworkers Would Say about You?
This is a great time for you to embellish on your best qualities, but you should answer this question objectively. If you think that your coworkers may consider you a bit harsh, you will need to be very delicate in the way that you answer. “I am a very stringent manager and I am very matter-of-fact when providing assignments or when scheduling. My coworkers would say that they enjoy working with me because I am very thorough in everything I do. Finally, they would say that I am 100% dedicated to the well-being of my patients and I put their care above everything else.” This answer gives the interviewer some insight into your abilities as well as your personality.
Are You Proficient with Working in a Team Setting?
This is a very good question as it presents the perfect opportunity for you to really shine. “Providing quality health care to any patient is impossible without a team of professionals working together. All of the nurses responsible for providing care to any patient should maintain close communication with each other and with the physician responsible for the patient’s care.” This shows your interviewer that you are serious about your job and will go to great lengths to maintain communication with your coworkers.
How Would You Handle a Short-Staffed Shift?
With this question, your interviewer is trying to determine how you will respond under pressure. Nurse managers are often responsible for scheduling all of the nurses for a particular shift—or even for the entire facility. Here, you are being asked to provide your method for handling one or more call-outs. “I ask the nurses to tell me if they are interested in taking on extra hours, and I keep a list of names. If a shift is short-staffed, my first order of businesses is to contact those nurses to cover the schedule. If for any reason I am unable to find a nurse who can take on the hours, I would report for duty myself” is a great answer.
A nurse manager has many responsibilities, so it is important for a recruit to prove his or her worth during an interview. By practicing these answers as well as doing some research about the facility for which you are interviewing, you will arrive better prepared.
