Paediatric nurse interviews require preparation, research, practice and personal reflection.
In a paediatric nurse interview, potential employers will ask questions about your clinical expertise, nursing skills and previous experience delivering care to young people.
Alongside the specific interview questions, you may get asked general nursing questions about your strengths and weaknesses, your career aspirations and your skills and qualities.
In this guide, we will cover the most common paediatric nurse interview questions, how to answer them and tips for preparing for your upcoming interview.
Types of paediatric nursing interview questions
Just like any nursing interview, the potential employer will ask a range of questions to determine the type of nurse you are, how you would be suitable for the role you’ve applied for and whether you would be a good fit for the company.
Let’s take a look at the different types of paediatric nursing interview questions to expect.
General paediatric nursing interview questions
General paediatric nurse interview questions give the interviewer an opportunity to determine the type of person you are and how you would be a good fit for the paediatric role you’ve applied for.
Here are a few general paediatric nurse interview questions to expect:
- What is your biggest achievement in your paediatric nurse career?
- What interested you in this role?
- What qualities do you believe a paediatric nurse should possess?
- What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
Paediatric nursing experience and skills interview questions
To determine what skills you can bring to the role and the type of previous nursing experience you have, the interviewer will ask skills and experience related questions. These can include:
- What paediatric care settings have you previously worked in?
- Have you worked with non-verbal paediatric clients before?
- How would you manage conflict with a young client’s parents?
- How do you manage your time effectively on shift?
- What key skills have you learned during your nursing career?
Nursing background interview questions
Interview questions focused on your nursing background give the interviewer an understanding of the level of your nursing expertise and the methods you have taken to manage different scenarios. Here are some questions to expect:
- How do you maintain your nursing skillset?
- What methods do you use to prioritise tasks while maintaining high-quality delivery of care?
- Can you give an example of how you work well in a team?
- What clinical skills have you learnt in previous roles?
Scenario based interview questions
An interviewer will ask different scenario-based questions to determine how you would react, approach and manage situations. They’re essentially a test of your skills, knowledge and capabilities. Here are some examples of the questions to expect:
- Describe how you would approach a client’s family that didn’t agree with a clinical decision you made about the client care.
- What would you do if the client’s condition suddenly changes, and they aren’t responding to their treatment?
- How would you manage a client who is conflicting with your colleagues?
When answering scenario style interview questions, it’s important to provide a throughout and methodical answer. This is where you can utilise the STAR interview method which is a response structure to help you organise your answer in a coherent way that gives the interviewer a good understanding of how you would handle the scenario.
Role specific paediatric nursing interview questions
Role specific paediatric nurse interview questions will often focus on the job you’ve applied for to determine how your current experience and skills fit. Here are some role focused interview questions to expect:
- How do you feel your paediatric skills translate to the role of a paediatric nurse at our company?
- The care setting of the paediatric nurse job you applied for is community based, how will you use your skills to ensure our clients receive the best possible community care?
- The responsibilities for this paediatric nurse role are very varied, how will you manage your time effectively to ensure each task is completed to the highest standard?
- Due to the client’s condition, this role requires you to make reactive clinical decisions, how will you utilise your previous experience to meet the changing needs of the client?
Common paediatric nursing interview questions
Now we’ve covered the different types of interview questions to expect in your upcoming interview, let’s look at the most common questions to expect and how to answer them.
- What interested you about the paediatric nursing role you applied for?
- What skills and qualities could you bring to the paediatric nursing role?
- What do you find most rewarding about being a paediatric nurse?
- How do you manage difficult and challenging situations on shift?
- How do you manage your time effectively on shift?
- Why do you want to work as a paediatric nurse with our company?
- Why are the 6C’s of nursing important?
1. What interested you about the paediatric nursing role you applied for?
Despite this question being general, it can give the interviewer a good understanding of your passion for paediatric nursing, how much research you’ve done about the company and the role you’ve applied for. Understanding what the company does, the type of people they care for, and their values and expectations are important to providing a strong answer to this question.
For further advice on preparing for your upcoming interview, read the ‘How to prepare for a paediatric nursing interview’ section of this guide below.
2. What skills and qualities could you bring to the paediatric nursing role?
Paediatric nurses are naturally skilled people who possess a range of qualities. But what are the key skills and qualities a nurse should possess? This interview question gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts and also showcase your own skills and qualities that you’ve developed throughout your nursing career.
3. What do you find most rewarding about being a paediatric nurse?
Throughout your career, you will have had many memorable moments that make you proud to be a paediatric nurse. This question provides an opportunity to reflect and also share key moments from your previous paediatric nursing jobs that you found to be very rewarding.
4. How do you manage difficult and challenging situations on shift?
Challenging situations during shifts are inevitable. But being able to confidently manage them in a professional manner can make it easier to reduce them from happening again and successfully handle those situations if they arise again.
This question determines your resilience as a nurse and how you would handle different situations.
5. How do you manage your time effectively on shift?
Time management in nursing is a key skill that nurses use regularly on shifts. The interviewer will ask this question to determine how you would effectively manage your time on shifts whilst ensuring the client remains safe and stable under your care.
6. Why do you want to work as a paediatric nurse with our company?
To make sure you answer this question well, this requires researching your potential employer to learn what type of care provider they are, what they do and the type of nurses they recruit.
For more tips on preparing for your interview, read our 'How to prepare for a paediatric nursing interview' below.
Related: What are community nurses?
7. Why are the 6C’s of nursing important?
The 6C’s of nursing are part of a strategy that outlines the core purpose of nurses, midwives and care staff and how they deliver high-quality compassionate care to individuals in care settings.
The 6C’s of nursing are important to any nursing role and focus on the core elements of care that healthcare professionals should deliver to improve the experience of their clients and patients.
Related: What are the 6C’s of nursing and how you can use them in your role
How to prepare for a paediatric nursing interview
Preparing for your interview can help you feel more confident on the day and lead to better quality answers to the interview questions. Let’s take a look at some useful tips to help you prepare for your upcoming interview.
- Research the company you’re interviewing with
- Read the job description
- Practice ahead of your interview
- Decide what you’re going to wear
- Find out where your interview is
1. Research the company you’re interviewing with
Research is an important first step to take when preparing for your upcoming interview. Spend time looking at the company’s website and social media channels to learn more about the company culture, their values, the nurses they recruit and the care they deliver.
This will give you a good idea of what questions to expect in your paediatric nurse interview and also any questions you would like to ask the interviewer.
2. Read the job description
Reading the job description is an important part of your preparation. You need to understand the role and responsibilities of the paediatric nurse job you’re interviewing for and the young person or children you will be caring for along with their individual requirements.
3. Practice ahead of your interview
Practicing ahead of your interview can help you to feel more confident and prepared on the day.
Ask a friend or family member to ask you the common paediatric nurse interview questions and when giving your answers, ask for feedback to see if there are opportunities to improve your answers further.
4. Decide what you’re going to wear
Choosing a comfortable and professional outfit for your interview can help you to look and feel professional and confident. Even if your interview is online, it’s still important for you to look the part.
5. Find out where your interview is
Ahead of your interview, find out where your interview is. If the interview is face to face, check how long it will take you to get the interview using your own vehicle or public transport.
If your interview is taking place online, make sure you can access the online platform and confidently navigate around it. Spend time testing your microphone and camera are working. If you’re unsure, ask a friend or family member to set-up a video call to see if you can be heard and seen clearly.
Now you have all the tips and advice you need to have a successful interview, check out our latest paediatric nurse jobs in your area.
Paediatric nursing jobs with Pulse Nursing at Home
Keep up to date with our latest paediatric nursing jobs in your area by applying with us using the form below.
If you wish to discuss our paediatric nursing roles, our dedicated Resourcing Recruitment Team are also available to contact via phone and email.
Phone: 0333 323 3746
Email: joinus@pulsenursingathome.co.uk