Psychiatric Nurse

Tell a story about the uncomfortable situation. What was the situation and why did it feel awkward. Explain the steps you took to leave the situation. What were the results of your actions? What did you learn?

Make sure the goal you share is related to your career. Explain the steps you took to accomplish your goal. What challenges did you face? How did you feel once you accomplished your goal?

Tell a story about a time you were stressed and under pressure to perform. Explain the situation and why you felt pressured. Describe step-by-step the actions you took to make it through the situation. What was the result? What did you learn? What might you do differently now?

This doesn’t need to be anything official. Think about a time when you stepped up to the plate and took charge of a situation. What was the circumstance? What made you take the lead? Who was involved? Did any opportunities arise from this situation?

Talk about the patient’s care and why they needed much of your time. What was the illness, trauma or injury? How did you ensure that this patient received quality care? How did you manage your other patients?

Tell a story about a patient you worked within a similar situation. What step-by-step actions did you take to obtain the information from the patient? What were the results of your actions?

Never talk bad about anyone during an interview. Explain the situation and why the individual was difficult. Share how you handled the situation. Try to turn anything negative into a positive. What did you learn from the situation? What might you do differently now? What was the “silver lining”? Were you able to talk through your differences? Did you become friends?


First, think about the qualities you expect from a nurse, and would want from someone caring for you or a member of your family. Think about things like confidentiality and how that might be different from secrecy. Think about what the pitfalls might be for nurses engaging in social media like Facebook and Twitter. Turn the question on its head and think what might constitute being unprofessional.

The answer to this question will reflect your work priorities and what characteristics you feel to be most important.

"Over time, I have seen that excellent communication is first and foremost, whether I am comforting a patient or discussing treatments with a doctor. Another important quality is organization. In such a sensitive environment, one mistake could be the difference between life and death.Lastly, patience is essential to possess. You must be a people person and be able to endure any possible turn of events."

Every nurse has a common job description, but you must possess something unique. This question allows the interviewer to get a sense of what makes you stand out among the other job applicants.

"I want my patients to have the best experience possible and I consider that my sole responsibility. I will go above and beyond to see to it that my patients are well taken care of. I believe dedication is an integral part of being a successful nurse and providing the best care under any circumstances. Also, I offer a listening ear that they can feel comfortable confiding in. As well as knowing I will wholeheartedly advocate for them, if necessary."

It is important to admit that you make mistakes and to own up to them. Talk about the specific mistake and why it happened. What was your role in the mistake? How did you know that you made a mistake? Who was involved? What did you learn? What have you done to improve? What were the results?

Discuss a time at work when you received negative feedback. What was the feedback and circumstances surrounding the feedback? Who gave you the negative feedback? How did it make you feel? What did you do as a result of the feedback?

Tell a story about a time when you did not know the answer. Explain step-by-step the action you took to find the information. Talk about the result of your actions.

Talk about a time when you successfully relied on written (or typed) communication. What were the circumstances? What was being discussed? How did you ensure success?

Be honest and talk about the most difficult component of nursing. Maybe it’s working with a specific patient population. Or, acting in a leadership role. Whatever it is to you, always make sure to talk about the steps and actions you’ve taken to cope with the difficulty.

Absolutely. Throughout my career as a psychiatric nurse, I’ve been supportive of nurses who are just entering the field. Even in nursing school, I helped friends study psychiatric nurse interview questions before they met with hiring managers in hopes of getting their first jobs. Peer mentoring helped me get where I am today and I want to reciprocate.

Most nurses encounter difficulties while working. Talk about a time when you felt dissatisfied with your work. What were the circumstances and what happened? What was your role? Why did you feel dissatisfied? What would you do differently now? What did you learn?

Mental health nursing isn’t simply about sitting down with people in one-to-one situations and counselling them. We work with people across all age groups with many different needs and problems. Show that you have an understanding of what it is that mental health nurses do. What sort of environments do we work in? What sort of things might we do by way of helping people? Have an appreciation of current issues in the news such as anti-stigma campaigns, the effect of living in society with a diagnosis.

Tell a story about a specific time when you had a difficult time getting a patient to agree to something at work. What was the situation and what did they need to agree to? What specific actions did you take to get them to agree? What was the result?