Pediatric nursing is a specialization of the nursing profession that focuses on the medical care of children, from infancy up to adolescence. This is an important field due to the constant growth and development that occurs throughout childhood.
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
This is a commonly asked question in interviews. Here the interviewer wants to understand from the interviewee what led to the choice of such a profession, an honest answer explaining why you like your role, is adequate enough.
Sample Answer
“In my training, I was mostly assigned, through rotation to many different departments as a general nurse and was accustomed to it. However, the desire to become a pediatric nurse was what led me to nursing. What interests me in pediatric growth is how we indicate intricate formulas of processing thought, build our immunity and overcome diseases. At least to a greater extent, we say childhood determines how healthy we’ll be for the rest of our lives, my love for, and desire to positively impact the lives of children has been a determining factor in my interest for this role.”
2. What Are The Roles Of A Pediatric Nurse?
In such a question, the interviewer wants to know, how much you as the interviewee know about your role. You can list out the expected duties and responsibilities associated with the nursing role.
Sample Answer
“As a pediatrician, I try my best to provide the best medical care in my professional capacity to children. I can say the key roles of a pediatric nurse is to administer vaccination or immunization and make sure that the children keep up with their vaccinations schedule and taking their drugs with the aid of their parents. Regular check-ups on heavily sick children is also an important part my role.”
3. What Are The Qualities Needed In Pediatric Nursing For One To Be Successful?
Here the interviewer wants to know if you really know and understand what it takes to advance in this role apart from your qualifications. Provide an honest reply, specifically mentioning your skills and qualities that will help you be successful.
Sample Answer
“Academic qualifications alone cannot solely help you in understanding a toddler’s need if in fact he or she is really sick. Having a little fun while handling kids and attention even to minor details that are occasionally missed by parents is essential in understanding the welfare of a child. Being compassionate and having a good personality has alternatively helped me socialize with the kids and has been vital in my career advancement and success.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face In Your Last Role? How Did You Face Them?
Here the interviewer wants to understand how well you are at handling challenges and how you can adjust yourself to face a challenge in your professional field with guidance from your expertise. Talk about any incident or learning experience from your previous job which you consider as a major challenge.
Sample Answer
“Working with children especially adolescents can be challenging. Adolescents are a group who are learning to be independent and some of their choices can somehow be erratic. Once, I was presented with a teenager who became too obsessed with conspiracies of malice in the medical sector and he fought off anyone who tried to administer him any medical care. Handling the child was somewhat challenging though I tried my best to stay calm while treating him.”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Pediatric Nurse?
The interviewer may ask this question to see whether you are organized and familiar with the responsibilities you have to pursue on a daily basis. Indicate the normal routine you undertake as a pediatric nurse.
Sample Answer
“My day starts with some stretching exercises and a jog around my block to prepare myself physically for the tough day ahead, afterwards a good shower, a hot cup of coffee prepares me mentally as I check my schedule on the appointments of the day while updating myself with a quick check on the tabloids.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience?
In this question on most interviews, the interviewer wants to understand not only your educational and professional experience but also your aims and goals in your career.
Sample Answer
“Personally I come from a long line of nurses as both my grandmother and mother were nurses. Growing up in that environment and seeing how much they really enjoyed their work, really motivated me to venture into this career. So my eight years in this profession have been worthwhile and I enjoyed every single moment of it, thinking extensively to conjure solutions has kept me excited and occupied. The challenges have also helped me open my mind to the world, but above all, knowing that I’m truly making a difference and adding a smile in a kid’s face gives me the joy to have chosen such a profession.”
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
Composure and excellent decision-making are essential in succeeding in any field. Here the interviewer wants to know whether you have the right mindset to work in this field of pediatric nursing. Talk about what you think is the right mindset to thrive in this field.
Sample Answer
“Working as a pediatric nurse can be hectic cause dealing with kids is no walk in the park, so a sound mindset and excellent strategies are crucial in maintaining calmness in unnerving situations. I can say during my sessions I try to think critically. Effective communication skills help me communicate well with both the parent and the patient without good communications skills in my field it can prove a challenge.”
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
Here the interviewer wants to see if you understand the challenges faced in this field and how prepared you are at handling them under immense pressure. Talk about the most challenges that occur in this field and how well you handle them.
Sample Answer
“Since this is a bigger role than the one I used to be in, long working hours will be a challenge I have to face before venturing into this role. However, I believe I can easily adapt and cope with the challenge at hand.”
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
The interviewer here wants to know the motivating factor in your career and how well it will enable you to work better in such a position. Answer in brief explaining what motivates you to better yourself every day.
Sample Answer
“A commitment to help others is my obligation, I try to provide comfort and security to children. In most days I am usually exhausted by the end of my shift, but the reward from my intrinsic view is seeing the joy the clients have after rendering my good services. Their joy and happiness drive me to push and try my best every day.”
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learnt?
In this question, the interviewer wants to know whether you are honest about your failures and understand if you have problem-solving skills. Talk about any incident in your career where you made a mistake and how it taught you an important lesson.
Sample Answer
“Once in the last moments of my 36-hour shift, I checked on two patients and by mistake mixed up their medical charts, this led to a misdiagnosis. However, I was lucky to realize this before any treatment was administered. This small mistake nearly led to the loss of lives for both patients and since then I have learned in the need for a good rest before work and the need to be attentive to detail in anything I do.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
The interviewer here wants to know why they should consider you as the candidate. Mention your skills and strengths that should make them choose you. Talk about your experience and why this job role suits you the most.
Sample Answer
“Although, I am equipped with the required documents to certify my nursing role, a career in pediatric nursing, from my training I learned that, one has to be time-sensitive, have compassion, and show emotional support and attention to detail to be a good nurse. At the time of my training, I acquired these skills which aided in my service provision. These skills and many that I will learn on the job will help me be a successful nurse for this organization.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement?
The interviewer wants to know about your achievements in your career or specifically the one you as the interviewee found to be most significant. Talk about any incident where your efforts made you feel successful in this job.
Sample Answer
“Being a nurse has not been an easy task but I take pride and joy in the accomplishments and achievements of my targeted goals. My greatest achievement of all was when I saved a child’s life with an orthodox means of diagnosis, the kid’s ailment eluded the diagnostics team and most of our practitioners, after most of his tests came out as negative thought crossed my mind of administering the ANA test which I had come across in my online research, to treat chronic illness. The results showed that he had rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. While it shocked everyone, the diagnosis was a success.”
13. In Your Opinion What Role Does Education Play In Pediatric Nursing?
Education is key not only in the nursing profession but parents of the patients you are handling need to understand the processes undertaken even in layman terms. The interviewer here wants to understand your relationship with parents while treating their patients
Sample Answer
“As we all know children spend a lot of time with mostly their parents. Parental education, especially on a healthy diet for their kids, good hygiene and mental and emotional support is also key in the management and growth of infants up to maturity.
14. How Do You Cooperate With Other Nurses, Medical Assistants And Other Employees In Your Role?
In such a question the interviewer seeks to understand how well you interact with your colleagues and clients you receive. Answer by indicating honestly your work relations in your last role and how well you interact with your clients.
Sample Answer
“I try to create good working relations with my companions for a better working environment but I am no saint. I have had instances where provocations occurred and in such situation, I always put my profession first and try to sort out the differences and come to terms with my colleagues.”
15. What Would You Do If A Family Member Was Unsatisfied With Your Patients Care?
In such a question the interviewer wants to know how well you respond to criticism in your field of work and how well you adjust to such situations.
Sample Answer
“This happened to me in my last position when a parent of a patient wasn’t happy with my services. Even though it hurt my confidence, I composed myself and quickly conveyed my apologies on my part, and made it necessary to validate the parent’s feelings while taking their issue seriously to ascertain the cause of distress. My empathy and show of compassion led to the family members settling down and accepting the diagnosis.”
16. Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?
Here the interviewer wants to know if you would be an essential part in the organization with your career goals. The key is to focus on your achievable objectives and what you are doing to reach those objectives.
Sample Answer
“Five years isn’t much for me but with a good environment, I would like to become the best nurse in your organization. I want to ensure I become the expert that others rely upon. And I feel in doing so I’ll be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities which might be presented in the long term.”
17. What Advice Would You Give A New Parent About ADHD?
This is one of the behavioral questions that the interviewer may ask you. Answer honestly indicating how you give advice in such a controversial issue and how well you will try to be close to the parent and not invade the patient’s privacy.
Sample Answer
“Children with ADHD and other mental issues don’t get to live a normal life and obviously a parent would be overwhelmed with how to deal with such a situation. I will educate the parents about the signs, symptoms, and precautions to take with the disease. Then I’ll advise them on the best possible exercises both physical and mental, that would help re-establish trust between the two parties and hasten the recovery process.
18. What Are Your Hobbies?
An interviewer may try to incorporate your personal life and how well it may relate to your line of work. Answer on how you spend your free time and how it best suits you in this role.
Sample Answer
“I always try and be creative during my free time and on most of the days I usually write medical articles. Writing helps me blow off some steam after a long weekly shift. Swimming occasionally helps me cool off and has been my frequent recreation activity on holidays and weekends.”
19. Describe How You Will Handle A Pandemic Or An Epidemic?
This question is very important for the interviewee to explain his or her expertise in handling extreme working conditions.
Sample Answer
” Medical emergencies on a large scale caused by pandemics and epidemics can be hectic to handle and cause panic though the medical fraternity. However, staying calm and collected together with taking necessary precautions are key not only for the attendees but to stop the super spreading of the disease.”
20. What Are your Weaknesses?
Here the interviewer wants to gauge how well you understand your shortcomings. Answer honestly what your weaknesses are and how you are trying to cope with them.
Sample Answer
“My inability to share responsibilities has been my main Achilles heels. I like being in control and at times during group projects I usually don’t trust others with work I know I can do better. However, with time I improved with my coordination as I realized it simplified work and only brought better results.”
Conclusion
These are just some of the questions expected, however their other questions that are not on this list. It is therefore recommended that you prepare extensively for your interview to boost your confidence. This is through consulting with other individuals on the role and also reading materials related to this particular role.
