As part of the nursing school admissions process, you’ll have an interview with an admissions counselor to see if you’re the right fit. You’ll have to answer nursing school interview questions including “Why do you want to be a nurse?” and “What makes you a good fit?”
If you’re interested in getting into nursing school and pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, the first step of the process will likely be speaking with an admissions counselor. Nursing schools make sure that students complete this step of the process so they can check a student’s qualifications and compare them with other candidates.
One thing that sets Misericordia University Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program apart from other nursing programs is that we don’t require prospective students to complete an official nursing school interview as part of our admissions process. Instead, we like to get an idea of your compatibility with our ABSN program through an initial admissions call.
We would like to find out more about you, your interest in nursing, and your thoughts about the profession during this call, so the discussion will range in scope across several topics. Nonetheless, you’re still probably wondering how to prepare, including what questions to ask in a nursing school interview. We’ll answer some of the most common nursing school interview questions and answers below to help ensure you’re ready for your nursing school interview.
Who Will Be Conducting the Interview?
Your first admissions appointment takes place with an assigned admissions counselor, who will review how the Misericordia ABSN program works, answer any questions you have, and provide you with information on next steps. This person will also help you create a pre-enrollment plan targeted toward your desired program start date — in January, May, or August — and be your go-to point of contact. They will offer you personalized support and guidance throughout the entire admissions process.
If your admissions counselor deems you a good fit for the Misericordia ABSN program, they will confirm your eligibility (which includes at least 60 college credits or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree and a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA) and do everything in their power to ensure you have or are working toward all the application requirements.
Learn more about getting into an accelerated nursing program.
What Nursing School Interview Questions Will My Admissions Counselor Ask?
While each call with an admissions counselor may vary, in general you can expect them to ask you any of the following nursing school interview questions:
- Why do you want to be a nurse? This is a chance to expand on your personal motivations and some of the events that have inspired you.
- What do you view a nurse’s responsibilities as? This allows them to open a discussion about modern nursing with you.
- What made you want to apply to our ABSN program? Here, you can share what about the school and program stood out to you.
- What makes you a good fit for our ABSN program? This question lets you expand on your positive qualities as a prospective student.
- What are the top qualities you think nurses should have? Here you can share what you think about the role of nursing.
- What is your greatest strength and weakness? With this question, you can help the admissions counselor learn more about you.
- How do you perform tasks while under pressure? Here, you can reassure your interviewer about your ability to perform in high-stress situations.
- What do you do when you’re placed in a new work environment and asked to accomplish tasks? This is a chance to speak to your adaptability in an academic or professional setting.
- How do you practice self-care and attend to your mental health? Share what makes you so resilient.
- What do you see as the future of the nursing profession? Nursing is changing, and here you can share your vision of what the future may bring.
- What is a time when you went above and beyond to complete a task? This is an opportunity to speak to some of your significant achievements.
- Where do you see your nursing career in 10 years? Speak to your ambitions for your career and education.
- What nursing specialty areas intrigue you most? This allows you to further expand on your career ambitions while sharing your interests within the field.
- How are you planning to manage your time throughout nursing school? Nursing school, especially in an accelerated format, is challenging. Explaining your time management skills will be important.
- How will earning a BSN help you reach your future career goals? Share the importance that a BSN-level education holds for you.
- Do you plan to work while in the program? You might need to commit up to 60 hours a week to your studies, making the program a full-time job in itself.
- Where do you plan to live while enrolled in our program? While you’ll complete much of the ABSN program online, we still require you to come to our nursing education center in Pittsburgh and/or health care partner sites a few times a week to participate in nursing labs and clinical rotations.
- What support resources do you have in place? Will you have the people or resources around you to keep you going throughout the process?
- What positive habits as a student do you have? Here you have another opportunity to explain and boost your strengths.
- What are you most keen to learn about as a nursing student? You can share your enthusiasm for the field of nursing and showcase your excitement to get started.
What Is the Best Way to Prepare?
This call is your time to learn more about the program as your admissions counselor gets to know you. While these preliminary talks are more informal, to make the most of your conversation with them, it’s still important to do your homework before the call.
Start by learning as much about the program and school as you can. Doing so will allow you to ask thoughtful questions rather than about easy-to-find information. Have access to your transcripts to be able to discuss them with your admissions counselor, and come into the conversation with questions of your own to show that you’re engaged and invested in the process. With the right preparation for nursing school interview questions, you can make a good impression and stand apart.
See some of the questions you should ask when looking for the right nursing school.
Schedule Your Nursing School Interview Today
Are you ready to jumpstart your nursing future? It all starts with an initial nursing school interview with one of our dedicated ABSN admissions counselors, who would love to help you determine if you and our ABSN program are a match. Get started today by connecting with them via the chat feature on the Misericordia University ABSN website or submitting your contact information via a form. Shortly after submitting your information, someone will be in touch with you to schedule a call.