Psychiatric Nurse

Explain step-by-step how you’ve performed in a similar situation. What specific words and terminology did you use? How did you know that the individual understood your explanation?

Talk about a time when you decided to take the initiative to complete a task or make an important decision. What was your motivator? What action steps did you take? What were the results of your actions?

About a year ago, on the night of my fifth wedding anniversary, I had to cover a shift for a coworker who suddenly got ill while tending to patients. Pitching in meant I had to tell my spouse we would need to shift our dinner plans to the next night when I was off. Although this initially caused disappointment, there was also a mutual understanding that if I did not cover that shift, the entire department would have struggled. Thanks to my decision, the department was able to continue delivering top-quality patient care, which was ultimately recognized by the nursing supervisor.

Share a specific story about a patient. Explain how you assessed the pending problems. Describe step-by-step the actions you took to prevent the problem. What was the result of your actions?

We’re looking for people who can explain clearly and with conviction why they want to be a mental health nurse. We are interested in people who want to work with people rather than a person’s fascination with how the brain works. Avoid general statements such as ‘I want to help people’ and tell us how you might like to help people and how you may have helped people in the past. Give examples how you do this and how you match the requirements of the role.

Make sure to explain the situation in detail including both perspectives (the patient’s family and yours). Never talk bad about patients or their family. Take ownership if you indeed did something wrong. Share any positives that came from this - what did you learn? What would you do differently now? How did you turn this into a positive?

Tell a story about one of your most noteworthy accomplishments at work. What was the accomplishment? What steps did you take to achieve it? Who else was involved in this accomplishment? What happened as a result of the accomplishment?

This is an important one to get right. You are asking to come on a course for the next three years of your life. That’s some commitment so we want to be assured that you understand what it is that you are committing yourself to. We’re looking for people who are serious about a career in mental health nursing and are fully aware of the commitment it requires. We expect you to have researched the course at this University, attended an Open Day and thought about how you plan to manage the academic and personal demands of the course. Talk positively about why you want to study here and what you’re interested in learning.

In the field of nursing, you can come across many obstacles that may be stressful. The interviewer wants to gauge how you handle tense situations in a fast-paced environment. Show them that you persevere in tough situations.

"I think knowing what the job entails and being prepared allows you to be better equipped when stressful situations do arise. Honestly, a little stress is expected in our field. If I feel like I am getting to the point of being stressed out, I will take a few deep breaths and remind myself why I got into nursing in the first place. Although there may be a few trying moments here and there, the impact nurses have on people's lives is well worth it."

Give an example of a time you had to prioritize your tasks quickly. Explain your thought process in details and why you chose to complete the duties in such order.

I always listen thoroughly to the feedback I receive and incorporate it into my actions moving forward. However, if it seems the superior does not have a complete understanding of a patient’s treatment or status, I respectfully respond in ways that make it clear I don’t let my pride, nor fear of speaking up, interfere with my goal of providing the best possible care.

Describe the circumstances and actions step-by-step. What happened to make you feel proud? What was your role? Who was involved? What was the result?

My motivation as a psychiatric nurse comes from a deep desire to do the very best I can in every situation I’m faced with. That often means calming agitated patients on a daily basis, but I even had my inner drive to succeed before getting my first job. I tirelessly studied psychiatric nurse interview questions so I was well prepared for what I was asked, in a situation that was very stressful for most of my nursing school peers.

Talk about a specific instance when you went out of your way for your job or for a patient. What were the circumstances? Why did you choose to take the action? What did you do? What were the results?

Tell a story about a hostile patient and your step-by-step actions. What was the patient doing that was hostile? How did you react? How did you feel? What procedures did you follow to interact with the patient? What was the result of your actions?

Explain the conflict surrounding the situation. Who was involved? What was your role? Did anything positive come from this? What did you learn?

Tell a story about a time when you knew your patient or family retained your teachings. How did you know that you effectively communicated the piece of education?

Share a story about when you experience failure. Talk about your feeling and why you felt that you failed. Discuss anything positive that came from this failure? What did you learn from failing? What might you do differently now?

Give a specific example of a time you were overwhelmed. Explain step-by-step the actions you took to overcome this feeling and to focus on the task at hand.

This can be a tricky question to answer because you want to be honest and genuine, while still showing that you love your job.

"I absolutely love being a nurse, but as with all jobs challenges will cross my path. The hardest part of being a nurse is seeing a patient in pain or unhappy and being limited in the extent I can comfort them. The reality is that as a professional I can only do so much. However, I realize this helps me so that I do not become too emotionally invested in my patients."