Just because a nurse has the right education and experience doesn’t mean they’re the best fit for your organization. As a nurse recruiter or hiring manager, it’s your job to determine whether each candidate you interview will be successful at your facility. To help ensure you do your due diligence – and hire the best nurses – here are six questions to always ask in a job interview:

1. Why did you become a nurse?

Ask this question so you can assess a candidate’s passion for nursing and desire for caring for others. If patients come first at your organization, then it’s critical that you hire nurses who share that same value. When answering this question, candidates should be able to offer you specific examples of how they’ve put patients first in their careers.

2. What do you know about us?

As one of the top medical staffing agencies in Sacramento, Pacific Staffing can tell you that a strong nursing candidate will have conducted research so they’re at least somewhat knowledgeable about your organization. If a candidate gives you a blank stare, then stutters their way through an answer, that’s a clear indication they haven’t done their homework.

3. What would your former supervisor say about you?

Asking this question will allow you to see if the description a nursing candidate gives you matches the impression they’re making. The answer they give also comes in handy when you’re checking work references. Their references will either confirm or refute what the candidate told you.

4. Why should we hire you? 

This is a great question to ask because it cuts right to the chase. It forces candidates to define what sets them apart and why they think you should hire them instead of their competition.

5. Give me an example of a time you had to perform under pressure.

The very nature of the job means nurses must perform well under pressure. Hiring someone who can’t handle the day-to-day stressors of being a nurse can have serious consequences for your facility and your patients.

6. Tell me about a difficult situation at work you had to face.

From angry doctors to emotional families, being able to handle delicate situations is a must for any nurse. A strong candidate will not only be able to share examples of difficult situations, but also explain how they successfully diffused them.

Clearly, you’ll also want to ask questions related to the nursing specialty you’re hiring for. But the above interview questions at least give you a starting point to help you identify the best candidates for your nursing positions.

Need more help hiring top notch nurses? Call Pacific Staffing. Pacific Staffing is one of the leading medical staffing agencies in Sacramento – and we can be your source for nurses, medical specialists and medical administrative staff. We can also work with you to develop a flexible staffing strategy that ensures your facility is staffed with the medical professionals you need, when you need them. Contact us today to learn more.