Frequently Asked School Nurse Interview Questions
Q – 1 Tell us about yourself?
Ans- I am really energetic and a great communicator. Working in the medical field for two years helped me build confidence, and taught me the importance of patient care. I have also got a track record of success.
In my last role, I juggled a variety of patient loads, assisted in a charity fundraiser and became an advocate for senior patients. Because of this, the hospital is launching a new educational program to teach nurses how to better care for elderly patients.
Q – 2 Please describe the perfect school nurse?
Ans- The perfect school nurse would have to have a great deal of knowledge. The nurse would need to have compassion for the job and must have the want to help people.
The perfect nurse knows how to treat each patient like they are important so that the patient does not feel like they are just another name on a list. The nurse must also have respect for everyone around them including themselves. The perfect nurse must never accept failure.
Q – 3 What is your greatest failure as a school nurse?
Ans- When I was in college, I took an art class to supplement my curriculum. I did not take it very seriously and assumed that, compared to my biology classes, it would be a walk in the park. My failing grades at midterm showed me otherwise. I’d even jeopardized my scholarship status.
I knew I had to get my act together. I spent the rest of the semester making up for it, ended up getting a decent grade in the class.
Q – 4 What area would you like to work in once you finish school and why?
Ans- I would like to start off working in either maternity or pediatrics. My first reason is that I love being around babies and kids. My second reason being that I want to be able to help this children towards a healthy future.
Q – 5 What are your greatest strengths as a school nurse?
Ans- Be positive and honest. My greatest strength is my ability to quickly and efficiently diagnose students problems.
Q – 6 How do you handle pressure and stress as a school nurse?
Ans- I find that I work better under pressure, and I enjoy working in an environment that is challenging. I am the type of person that diffuses stress. I am used to working in a demanding environment with deadlines and enjoy the challenges.
Q – 7 What are your goals for the future as a school nurse?
Ans- My long term goals are to find a school where I can continue to learn and be a positive contributor.
Q – 8 What do you think about policies and rules as a school nurse?
Ans- I think that we must have these to keep everything in order. I think policies and rules are put in place to better our environment.
Q – 9 How do you accept dress codes as a school nurse?
Ans- I have no problem with dress codes at all. I went to private school for 10 years and was required to wear a uniform.
Q – 10 What qualities do you most admire in people as a school nurse?
Ans- I admire anyone that has a great sense of humor but at the same time knows when to be serious. I admire people who won’t take no for an answer when it is easier to just give up.
Q – 11 What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced as a school nurse?
Ans- Losing my dad and trying to stay strong for my mom and brother was the most difficult thing I have faced yet.
Q – 12 What do you want to do in life as a school nurse?
Ans- I want to be able to help people. I want to get the chance to help people recover from whatever they are suffering from.
Q – 13 Who has exercised the greatest influence on you and how?
Ans- My mom has made the greatest influence on me. She has withstood many tough times throughout her life and never once have I seen her give up.
Q – 14 What is the biggest mistake that you have ever made as a school nurse?
Ans- I think the biggest mistake that I have made was changing my major from nursing multiple times.
Q – 15 Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 as a school nurse?
Ans- I would give myself an 8. I feel like I am the best person that I could be but there is always room for learning and improvement.
Q – 16 How have you benefited from disappointment in school nursing?
Ans- I have benefited from disappointment by actually becoming a stronger person in school nursing.
Q – 17 What is the most challenging thing in your life so far as a school nurse?
Ans- My most challenging thing I have come across in my life was watching my dad suffer and pass away in such a short period of time.
Q – 18 What kind of experiences have you had with nurses in your past in school nursing?
Ans- I have had good experiences with nurses over a course of 3 months when my dad was in the hospital.
Q – 19 Tell me what is definition of plagiarism in school nursing?
Ans- To me plagiarism is using anyone else’s work without giving them credit for it by citing it. It is also trying to take credit for something that you personally did not come up with on your own.
Q – 20 Is your family supportive of your school nursing?
Ans- My family is very supportive with anything I choose to do. They support me 100% with my decision to go to nursing school.
Q – 21 How well do you get along with others as a school nurse?
Ans- I would say that I get along with others extremely well. I love meeting new people.
Q – 22 How would you deal with a situation as a school nurse where a person who didn’t know you decided he/she didn’t like you?
Ans- I would make it a point to try to get to know the person so that they could get to know me and like me for who I am.
Q – 23 In regards to school nursing, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Ans- In ten years I will have grown into a lot more experienced nurse and I would like to be working in ICU because of it.
Q – 24 What qualities do you posses that will make you a good school nurse?
Ans- I am a very reliable, caring and dedicated person. I put all of my effort in to being a hard worker.
Q – 25 How do you explain your gap in employment in school nursing?
Ans- My work is important to me, so I shall not be satisfied with any old nursing job. Instead of rushing to accept the first thing that comes my way, I am taking my time and being selective to make sure my next role is the right one.
Q – 26 Why do you want to become a school nurse?
Ans- I have always pictured myself becoming a nurse. I would love the chance to help people and to make a difference in their lives. I also love interacting with people on a daily basis.
Q – 27 How would your friends describe you as a school nurse?
Ans- My friends would probably say that I am extremely persistent. I have never been afraid to keep going back until I get what I want. When I worked as a program developer, recruiting keynote speakers for a major tech conference, I got one rejection after another, this was just the nature of the job.
Q – 28 What motivates you to work as a school nurse?
Ans- I have always been motivated by the challenge of a tough patient. In my last role, I came across a particular patient who refused a handful of nurses before he was assigned to me.
I was able to find something we had in common, which calmed him down. After the patient saw me make an effort to better understand his situation, he became much more agreeable to my aid. I love facing and overcoming challenges on such a personal level.
Q – 29 Describe a time when you did not get along with other nurse in school nursing?
Ans- I used to lock heads with a fellow nurse in the ICU ward. We disagreed over a lot of things from the care of patients to who got what shifts to how to speak with a child’s family. Our personalities just did not mesh. After three months of arguing, I pulled her aside and asked her to lunch.
At lunch, we talked about our differences and why we were not getting along. It turns out, it was all about communication. We communicated differently and once we knew that, we began to work well together. I really believe that talking a problem through with someone can help solve any issue.
Q – 30 What did you like least about your last job as a school nurse?
Ans- There was nothing about my last job that I hated but I guess there were few things I liked less than others. My previous role involved traveling at least twice a month. While I do love to travel, twice a month was a little exhausting. I did not like spending quite so much time out of the hospital. I am happy to see that this role involves a lot less travel.
Q – 31 When were you most satisfied in your job of a school nurse?
Ans- I am a people person. I was always happiest and most satisfied when I was interacting with patients, making sure I was able to meet their needs and giving them the best possible care. It was my favorite part of the job and it showed.
I was rated as “Good or Excellent” 95% of the time in peer reviews. Part of the reason I am interested in this job is that I know I would have even more interaction with patients on an even more critical level.
Q – 32 What did you learn from your failure?
Ans- I learned that no matter what I am doing, I should strive to do it to the best of my ability. Otherwise, it is not worth doing at all.
Q – 33 What is your greatest weakness as a school nurse?
Ans- I have never been very comfortable with speaking up, which as you know, can be a hindrance in nursing. Realizing this was a problem, I asked my previous employer if I could enroll in a speech workshop.
He said “yes.” I took the class, and was able to overcome my lifelong fear. Since then, I have made great strides in sticking up for my patients, communicating with doctors and just being a better nurse.
Q – 34 Why should we hire you as a school nurse?
Ans- I have been a nurse practitioner for the past ten years. My boss has said time and time again that without me, the hospital would fall apart. I have also taken the time to educate myself on some of the latest industry issues I regularly use (but did not really understand the ins and outs of). What is good enough for most people is never really good enough for me.
Q – 35 Where do you see yourself in five years in school nursing?
Ans- In five years I would like to have an even better understanding of this industry. Also, I really love working with people. Ultimately, I would like to be in some type of managerial role at this hospital, where I can use my people skills and nursing knowledge to benefit the nurses working for me and the patients and hospital as a whole.
Q – 36 Why are you leaving your current role as a school nurse?
Ans- I have learned a lot from my current role, but now I’m looking for a new challenge in nursing, to broaden my horizons and to gain a new skill-set, all of which, I see the potential for in this job.
Q – 37 What do you think of your previous boss as a school nurse?
Ans- My last boss taught me the importance of time management. He did not pull any punches and was extremely deadline-driven. His no-nonsense attitude pushed me to work harder and manage my case loads way more efficiently.
Q – 38 Do you have experience working with special-needs children as a school nurse?
Ans- Many schools have children requiring special care. Although nurses are generally able to treat any child, some specialize in special-needs children.
Q – 39 Why do you want to work as a school nurse?
Ans- I have always loved nursing but my interest in health care really started when I volunteered at a homeless shelter in college. Seeing so many people without care inspired me to pursue a career devoted to caring for others. I kept going back and volunteering, which got me hooked. It was great to be able to contribute positively to society that then led me to a field I feel so passionate about.
Q – 40 What measures do you take as a school nurse to prevent disease among children?
Ans- Most importantly, school nurses keep a sharp eye out for signs and symptoms of disease or any health problems. If they notice anything suspicious they report it to parents with a written recommendation to visit a specialist. Other preventive measures are vaccines administered at school and health education for the children.
Q – 41 Do you think that communication skills are important for a school nurse?
Ans- Communication and interpersonal skills are of the utmost importance. Nurses must communicate effectively with senior medical personnel and the school staff, but they must especially be good at communicating with school children.
Q – 42 Are there any desirable personality traits that a school nurse should have?
Ans- Nurses are generally friendly, caring, gentle and sympathetic. They are able to explain concepts and situations clearly, yet without upsetting patients unnecessarily. School nurses must be particularly caring and careful, since they work with children who are psychologically vulnerable patients.
Q – 43 What qualifications are important for a school nurse to have?
Ans- School nurses are usually registered nurses. They must be expert at analyzing tell-tale signs of diseases common among school children of all ages. They exercise good judgment every day in deciding whether to send a child for a check-up by a specialist.
Q – 44 What is school nursing?
Ans- School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement and health of students.