Paediatric nursing interview questions are designed to help future employers learn more about you, your work history and how you would fit into their organisation.
Before interviewing at Thornbury Community Services (TCS), we always recommend practising the most common paediatric nurse interview questions. As you won’t know the questions we will ask during your interview, this preparation can help you to build your confidence and give you time to think about the responses to consider, examples you may want to draw upon and accomplishments to reference within your video interview with us.
We have put together some example questions you may wish to practise with below, along with tips and advice on how to answer them.
9 common paediatric nurse interview questions
- Why did you become a paediatric nurse?
- What are the most important qualities for a paediatric nurse to have?
- How do you respond if a young client challenges your request
- How do you explain important health information to clients and their families in a way that’s age appropriate?
- Can you describe a time when you’ve had to manage conflict with a client, family member or colleague?
- Why do you want to work in our organisation?
- Where do you currently work and why do you want to leave your current role?
- How would your colleagues describe you?
- What’s the most challenging thing about being a paediatric nurse?
How to answer common paediatric nurse interview questions
Why did you become a paediatric nurse?
For many, nursing is a vocation. Before any interview, think about how you can showcase your passion and dedication.
Whether your personal history inspired you to work with children or you discovered a natural affinity during your training, give thought as to why the role is important to you. If there was a specific moment when your ambition to become a paediatric nurse clicked, remember to share it in your interview – your enthusiasm will always be a great selling point.
What are the most important qualities for a paediatric nurse to have?
Before an interview, reflect on the qualities you possess that make you a great paediatric nurse. These may include compassion, patience and being a good communicator. Make note of scenarios from your previous roles that demonstrate these qualities and think about how the attributes will be beneficial within the role that you are interviewing for.
If you’re then asked about your qualities in an interview, you'll have all the information you need to answer right at your fingertips, allowing you to respond in a strong and compelling way.
How do you respond if a young client refuses to do what is asked when needed?
Within a paediatric nurse interview, you will often be given an example scenario to talk through how you would respond if it was to arise. This allows employers to get a good idea of how you'd manage situations that could potentially occur in the role.
When answering these types of questions, select instances from your previous jobs that show how you have effectively managed similar situations before.
For example, when answering the question above, you could talk about a time you handled a refusal compassionately, where you sought to understand and calm the worries of the young person. It would then be valuable to discuss how you worked with the family/guardians so they could support the young person in feeling comfortable with the proposed course of medical treatments.
How do you explain important health information to clients and their families in a way that’s age appropriate?
Communication is perhaps one of the most important skills for a paediatric nurse to possess.
Within any paediatric nursing role, not only are you required to share and discuss important health information clearly and objectively with adult family members but also with children and young people with different levels of understanding of their medical circumstances.
When answering paediatric nurse interview questions, be sure to showcase your strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills. If you are asked the question above, consider how you would undertake this process step by step. You may explain how you would build a rapport with the client, use informative language, avoid jargon and be compassionate when delivering sensitive information. And as we’ve mentioned before, think about how you’ve done this in the past and give examples of how your strong communication skills have been valuable in your previous roles.
Can you describe a time when you’ve had to manage conflict with a client, family member or colleague?
Managing conflict is an important part of any role and can be heightened in a clinical setting. When preparing for questions about conflict management, make note of scenarios that show how you’ve successfully handled stressful situations previously, what actions you took to address the challenges and the outcomes that supported conflict resolution.
Why do you want to work in our organisation?
These types of questions allow you to demonstrate your passion for paediatric nursing in general as well as for the role you are applying for.
Understanding what we do at TCS is the first step towards a successful interview. Conducting thorough research on your potential employer can be very beneficial, but always be authentic in your praise. Also, be specific as to why a role interests you on a personal level.
Where do you work currently and why do you want to leave your current role?
You will have gained valuable lessons during your time in your current role. When preparing for questions like this, reflect on these lessons and think about what you hope to gain in your next opportunity.
Whenever mentioning past employers in interviews, avoid portraying them in a negative light, even if the truth is less flattering. Be honest but try and view the situation with a positive lens.
How would your colleagues describe you?
These types of questions help employers to assess your self-awareness, your personality and how you might be received by the wider team.
Before an interview, spend some time brainstorming your strengths and reflect on any praise you’ve received from superiors and colleagues in the past. That way, when asked about your characteristics in an interview, you can not only showcase them but also provide evidence as validation.
What’s the most challenging thing about being a paediatric nurse?
You will often be asked about challenging situations you have dealt with in the past or may have to deal with in the role you are applying for. These interview questions are often asked as employers want to understand how you would manage challenges and what action you would take to ease and remedy them.
Before an interview, think about what you find challenging and what makes you resilient in the face of those challenges. For example, you might acknowledge how paediatric nursing can be a highly emotive environment. You may then share how you manage associated pressures through practising self-care.
Top tips for answering paediatric nurse interview questions
When interviewing for a paediatric nurse role, we recommend coming prepared with examples that effectively demonstrate how you've worked in the past. This will allow you to answer questions in a concise, captivating and easy-to-understand way.
When questions call for examples from previous roles, it’s best to answer using the STAR method;
- Situation: Set the scene. Briefly paint a picture of the situation.
- Task: Describe your role in the situation and what you had to do. This will highlight the scope and scale of the goal you were trying to achieve or the challenge you were trying to overcome.
- Action: What actions did you take to overcome the challenge or achieve the goal? Cover them step by step, sharing your reasoning where appropriate.
- Result: Share the outcomes your actions had and evidence of your positive impact on the situation. Include as much detail as possible - numbers and statistics are powerful in demonstrating success.
Extra interview tips for paediatric nurses
Even for the most experienced nursing professionals, we understand that interviews can be nerve-wracking.
If you are nervous, try doing a mock interview with a friend or family member or reach out to our team. Our recruiters help thousands of nurses secure their dream roles every year. They can help guide you through the process so you’re fully prepared and feel confident for your interview.
Read our online interview guide for more tips and advice on how to make a great first impression.
Paediatric nursing opportunities with Thornbury Community Services
Thornbury Community Services delivers bespoke complex care to adults and children in the community. We’re always looking for dedicated paediatric nursing specialists to join our team. Look at our latest opportunities here or complete the form below.
We believe in supporting and recognising your commitment and expertise to enable you to fulfil your passion for nursing. With you every step of the way, our Resourcing Recruitment Team will connect you to the best roles where you can make a positive difference every day.