Top 20 Nurse Manager Interview Questions and Answers 2024

If you are preparing for a nurse manager interview, you need to be ready for some commonly asked questions. Employers ask these interview questions to know your skills, qualities, strengths, and more. They help interviewers to determine whether you are the best candidate for the job. Giving wrong answers or inability to answer questions might cost you the job. To help you ace your next interview, here are the frequently asked nurse manager interview questions together with their answers.

1. Tell Us About Yourself

This is often the first interview question. The interviewer wants to hear a summary of your personality, educational attainment, experience, or achievement that relate to this position.

Tip #1: Mention your traits, experience, and qualifications

Tip #: Prove that you have what the employer is looking for.

Sample Answer

I’m an energetic and lively person. I hold a Master’s degree in nursing. I’ve been a nurse manager for the last five years in a busy and modern health facility. My primary focus is the provision of compassionate care to all clients, irrespective of their age or status. Moreover, my excellent time management skills enable me to juggle different patient wellness programs and workloads simultaneously. I am greatly satisfied when I see patients get well.

2. What Made You Choose Nursing as Your Career?

The interviewer asks this question to know your motivation for pursuing nursing and whether you are truly devoted to it.

Tip #1: Mention why you got interested in nursing

Tip #2: Prove your devotion to nursing

Sample Answer

As a child, I was really impressed by how well nurses cared for my grandfather in the hospital. But I developed a great interest in nursing after volunteering at a hospital near my school. The satisfaction I felt after taking care of the sick there made me choose nursing as my career. To date, I get really satisfied to see patients recover and move on with their lives.

3. Briefly Tell Us What You Know About This Medical Center

This question is asked to assess whether you are truly interested in joining the Medical Center.

Tip #1: Do some research about the Center before the interview

Tip #2: State two or three things you know about it

Sample Answer

Your Medical Center is famous for being the leading children’s chemotherapeutic treatment facility in the country. Your mission is to offer the best treatment services in the region. You also provide a good working environment. As a result, I would want to build my career here.

4. Why Should We Hire You?

If you are asked this question during your nurse manager interview, the interviewer wants to know whether you will be an asset if hired.

Tip #1: Show the value you will offer based on your characteristics

Tip #2: Prove that you will contribute effectively in offering needed solutions

Sample Answer

I am very passionate and devoted to the nursing profession. Thus, my highest priority will be to make sure that quality nursing care is offered to patients. I possess good communication and leadership skills that are vital in leading nurses to offer satisfactory nursing care. I have these plans in mind because I want to join this institution and take part in making it a center for quality nursing care.

5. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

This question is asked to test whether you have a career plan and whether you intend to grow in your profession

Tip #: Mention your career plan

Tip #2: State how you intend to upskill in the future

Sample Answer

I plan to enroll for a post-graduate degree in nursing next year. I expect to complete the course in five years. I will also get a management certificate to further my management skills and knowledge on the job.

6. What is Your Style of Management?

The interviewer asks this question to know the kind of management style you employ.

Tip #1: Describe your management style

Tip #2: Prove that you are a good manager

Sample Answer

I lead by example rather than commanding my subordinates. I make sure to explain expectations, coach and train nurses, and motivate them to remain productive. I also listen to their needs and concerns and address them accordingly.

7. What Great Challenge Do You Expect to Face?

The interviewer asks this question to assess your problem solving abilities.

Tip #1: Describe a huge challenge you anticipate in this role

Tip #2: Prove your capability to tackle them effectively

Sample Answer

As a nurse manager, I anticipate a situation where doctors don’t cooperate with nurses that support them. When that happens, a lot of things can go wrong, from communication breakdown to wrong drug administration. But rest assured that I will handle the challenge effectively. I will ensure communication channels are up and running at all times. I will also promote an environment where physicians and nurses work together to offer quality services.

8. Which Responsibilities Will You Be Performing Daily?

This question is meant to test your familiarity with the duties performed by a nurse manager.

Tip #1: Mention some duties that nurse managers do every day

Tip #2: Prove that you are well aware of your daily routine

Sample Answer

As a nurse manager, I will be adopting and implementing innovative nursing practices to enhance the facility. I will ensure effective support of the nursing staff by counseling, guiding, coaching, and disciplining them. Other duties will include selecting and recruiting nursing staff, maintaining nursing guidelines by updating procedures and guidelines, identifying service requirements, and managing nursing operations.

9. How Do You Work Under Pressure?

Here, the interviewer seeks to assess your ability to work effectively under pressure.

Tip #1: Demonstrate that you can work well under pressure

Tip #2: Be clear and provide a direct answer

Sample Answer

In my current role as a nurse manager, we at times have abrupt surges of patients at the health facility. Since it isn’t right to turn them away, I have developed strategies to handle sudden surges. For example, I make sure to assign more nurses to units that need more staff. Besides, I prioritize my work and multi-task duties to ensure I meet my targets.

10. What Qualities Does a Nurse Manager Need to Work Effectively?

Here, the interviewer wants to assess your knowledge regarding the qualities that nurse managers need to be effective.

Tip #1: Mention at least three qualities that can make you successful in this role

Tip #2: Be precise and don’t mull over the answer

Sample Answer

A nurse manager should possess strong leadership and communication skills. He or she should have multitasking abilities and good time management skills. Moreover, strong analytical and problem solving skills are needed to be effective in this role. 

11. If Conflict Arises At Work, How Do You Deal With It?

The interviewer wants to assess whether you’re capable of resolving conflict at work.

Tip #1: Describe how you handle conflict at work

Tip #2: Prove your conflict resolution abilities

Sample Answer

If a conflict between two employees or teams arises, I will leverage my conflict resolution techniques to resolve it. I will listen to each person or team to know the crux of the problem. Then, I will use facts to show who is right or wrong or help them agree on a common ground that benefits everyone.

12. What Action Would You Take If You Have An Uncooperative Doctor?

This question is asked to find out how you would handle physicians who don’t cooperate with nurses.

Tip #1: Mention the action you would take to deal with uncooperative doctors

Tip #2: Be precise and give a well thought answer

Sample Answer

I would begin by politely yet firmly asking the uncooperative or rude doctor to mend his ways. If the doctor doesn’t change, I would report him to the appropriate higher office for further action.

13. What Would You Do If You Had an Underperforming Nurse?

This question is aimed at assessing how you would handle a poorly performing nurse.

Tip #1: State how you would deal with cases of underperformance

Tip #1: Demonstrate that you can help underperforming nurses enhance their skills

Sample Answer

I would begin by talking to the nurse to understand the problem. If underperformance is caused by carelessness or complacency, I would issue a warning and make the nurse understand that such acts won’t be tolerated. Otherwise, I would create a performance enhancement program and implement it to help the nurse enhance performance.

14. If You Saw an Office Staff Misbehaving With Patients, What Action Would You Take?

The interviewer asks this question to understand how you would handle misbehaving employees.

Tip #1: Describe how you would handle misbehaving employees

Tip #2: Provide a clear and direct answer

Sample Answer

First, I would intervene and ask for an explanation from the staff. I would then let the employee know that unprofessional acts can’t be tolerated. Next, I would report the worker to the relevant office so that appropriate disciplinary action is taken.

15. What is Your Take on New and Improved Technological Changes Happening in the Health Industry?

The interviewer wants to hear whether you consider technological development as beneficial to the health industry.

Tip #1: Describe your take on new technologies

Tip #2: Be honest and precise with your response

Sample Answer

I’m a tech savvy individual who is flexible to technological changes. I stay updated about new technological changes taking place in the health industry. Moreover, I will endeavor to apply new technologies to enhance nursing processes and operations.

16. Briefly Tell Us Your Experience With Patients in the Past?

The interviewer wants to know the challenges you have encountered in the past and how you addressed them.

Tip #1: Describe your past experience with patients

Tip #2: State how you dealt with the issues you faced

Sample Answer

Seven years ago, I was a registered nurse in a health facility where I dealt with different patients every day. Not all were cooperative. Some would refuse to follow dietary restrictions, talk to nurses, or take medicine. I handled such cases by trying to understand their suffering and using a professional and firm approach.

17. What Do You Aim to Achieve Through This Job?

This is another common question in a nurse manager interview. The interviewer seeks to know what you hope to gain from the job.

Tip #1: State what you aim to attain

Tip #2: Be honest and brief

Sample Answer

I hope to improve and expand my career opportunities through the experience and skills I’ll acquire as I execute this role. I also expect to enhance the reputation of nursing care in this institution. Besides, I hope to get a salary.

18. As a Nurse Manager, How Skilled are You in Using a Computer?

Nowadays, computers are used everywhere. The interviewer seeks to know your computer skills.

Tip #1: Mention any computer course you have completed

Tip #2: State areas you are skilled in and what you can accomplish using a computer

Sample Answer

I have a certificate in computer application. My course included learning how to use Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. I can use a computer to manage my work, analyze reports and services, and conduct searches on the internet.

19. What Motivates You at Work?

This question is aimed at assessing where you draw your motivation.

Tip #1: Mention what motivates you to continue working productively

Tip #2: Be honest and give a direct answer

Sample Answer

I get inspired when everything works as planned. I also get motivated when I help others and see them succeed. Moreover, working with the best doctors and nurses offers me great motivation.

20. What is Your Salary Expectation?

The interviewer wants to hear whether your salary requirements fit within the employer’s range.

Tip #1: Find out the salary paid for the position

Tip #2: Avoid giving an exact figure. Instead, give a range

Sample Answer

Since this job matches my career goals, I am more focused on performing my roles correctly and as expected than the salary the position yields. However, I expect to be paid within an appropriate range for this job based on my qualification and experience.

Conclusion

Get well-prepared for your next nurse manager interview by studying these interview questions and answers. Practicing them before the interview will enable you to make a great impression. The more you familiarize yourself with them, the better you are likely to perform during the interview.