Why do you want to be a nurse?

+72 votes
asked Jan 19, 2019 in Career & Work by Elaine (1,110 points)
edited Feb 10, 2019
I have applied for a nursing job. I expect them to ask me questions like why I have chosen the nursing profession or why I think I'm good for the job. Though I have an answer ready, but it sounds too common so I could use some help from you guys. I just need some new answers to add to mine so it won't look too generic and commercial.

3 Answers

+13 votes
answered Jul 19, 2019 by Jami (840 points)
edited Jul 25, 2019

Here are some tips I found for you to answer this question correctly:

1. Pay attention to issues that concern patients.

Show deep concern for the sick and helpless, and show you wish to treat each patient with regards to his or her personality. Show you passion for treating families in need of medical care with all the love and compassion they will require. Let the interviewer know you wish to develop strong nurse-patient relations.

2. Talk about how you will exceed expectations.

Tell them why you are suitable for a career in nursing. You can add that you enjoy caring for others, which is a very important quality of every good nurse. Let them know what you did for patients in need of special care in the past. Tell your interviewers how you have handled emergencies and your special skills like organizing the workflow, keeping accurate patient records, and good communication with both doctors and patients.

3. Stay personal.

Keeping it personal is of utmost importance. Let them have a feel of one of your childhood experiences that made you decide to be a nurse. Experiences like seeing a dedicated nurse cater for an ailing patient or how you were very close to a relative or neighbor who was a nurse. Managers often ask these questions to know your major motivation for joining the nursing profession.

4. Avoid giving answers that show you are in it for personal gains.

Avoid every self-centered answer because they make you appear selfish. Give them visionary answers why you wish to be a nurse not answers that show you want to be a nurse for what the profession will offer you. Focus on things like your desire to treat debilitating diseases and prevent the spread of certain killer diseases in the society. Employers won't employ you if your answers focus on things like the holiday pays nurses enjoy and the flexible working schedules that come with the nursing profession.

You can use these 4 tips for decorating your answer and make it more outstanding.

+10 votes
answered Jan 21, 2019 by JANELL (1,100 points)
edited Feb 19, 2019
Why do you want to be a nurse? If I were to be asked this question, my answer would have been something like this:

I want to join the nursing profession because I believe it is one of the most wonderful professions on earth. What other profession offers you the chance to affect lives like nursing does? I love talking with both patients and their families, especially when it comes to helping them understand the particular disease they are battling with and how to overcome it. The scientific aspect of nursing that pays attention to the strength of each patient rather than the medical condition they are battling with are quite intriguing as well.
+1 vote
answered Mar 27, 2019 by Briyene (830 points)
edited Apr 20, 2019
My views:

I enjoy doing whatever it takes to make a difference wherever I find myself, and this is the main reason why I have decided to become a nurse. Apart from the good pay that come with being a nurse, there is much joy to be derived from making a patient smile after he or she has passed through some terrible periods and experiences. So you won't be wrong if you say I became a nurse to render help to people who need it. Furthermore, I have always wondered how diseases invade the human body and wreak so much havoc. Becoming a nurse will help me gain deeper knowledge of this. So to me, nursing is the greatest of all professions.
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