JOB GUIDE · MOKILIX ENTRETIEN
Job interview: Nurse
The recruiter is looking for a carer who is reliable under pressure: show your rigour, your calm and your respect for the patient.
THE JOB
What recruiters expect
Nurses are in demand in public hospitals, private clinics, faith-based or community health centres, medical NGOs and company clinics, particularly on industrial, oil or mining sites. A beginner is expected to have mastered basic care, to follow protocols and to be keen to learn from more senior colleagues. An experienced candidate is expected to work independently on a ward, to supervise trainees, to keep care records properly and to stay composed in an emergency.
Skills assessed at interview
- Command of routine nursing care
- Respect for hygiene rules and protocols
- Observation of the patient and handover of information
- Relationship with the patient and their family
- Stress management and teamwork
Job family: Health and social care
QUESTIONS WITH ADVICE
Seven questions to prepare
- 01
In which wards have you worked or done your placements, and what did you do there?
Name the wards, the length of time and the care you gave yourself. Say what you did under supervision. End with the ward where you feel most at ease and say why.
- 02
How do you organise the start of your shift and your round of the patients?
Describe your routine: handover, reading the records, round of the patients, ranking care by priority. Show that you write things down as you go and not at the end of the shift. Base your answer on a specific ward.
- 03
What do you do if you have a doubt about a prescription or about a procedure you are to carry out?
Answer that you do not carry out the procedure until the doubt has been cleared up. Explain that you ask the doctor or your manager for confirmation and that you note it in the record. The recruiter expects caution, not confidence at all costs.
- 04
A patient refuses treatment. How do you react?
Show that you first try to understand their fear and that you explain the treatment in simple words. Say that you respect their decision, inform the doctor and record the refusal. Never talk about forcing or threatening.
- 05
Tell me about an emergency you have experienced. What was your role?
Tell it in order: what you observed, whom you alerted, what you did within the limits of your competence. Stress the teamwork and what you took away from it. Stay restrained and give no information that could identify the patient.
- 06
How do you work when equipment or consumables are lacking?
Explain how you plan ahead: a check at the start of the shift, a written report, ranking needs with the team. Make clear that you do not get round the hygiene rules and that you alert your line managers. Avoid criticising your former workplace.
- 07
How do you cope with the tiredness of shifts and the emotional load of the job?
Talk about your practical means: sleep, talking with colleagues, activities outside work. Acknowledge that the job is demanding and show that you know how to ask for support. An honest answer is more reassuring than “everything is always fine”.
Common mistakes
- Giving details that make it possible to recognise a patient.
- Claiming to have mastered a procedure that you have never carried out alone.
- Criticising the doctors or colleagues from your former ward.
Questions to ask the recruiter
- Which ward is the job in and how many patients does a nurse look after per shift?
- How are shifts and rest days organised?
- Is there support from an experienced colleague during the first weeks?
Preparation guide written by MOKILIX: it replaces neither the employer’s advert nor the advice of a professional in the field.
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