When Catherine Delanoix, MSN, RN, CNL, OCN, Associate Director of Clinical Nursing at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, conducts nurse manager interviews, she goes beyond asking candidates about their clinical experience.
For Delanoix, it’s equally important to hear how applicants have engaged in professional development.
“I want to see a candidate demonstrate passion, engagement, and curiosity,” she said. “I like to learn how they’ve set themselves apart by participating on committees and being involved with professional development organizations.”
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says nurse managers wear two hats: they deliver clinical care, while also serving as nurse leaders. The responsibilities of a nurse manager include:
- Overseeing nursing staff
- Ensuring patient safety
- Scheduling staff
- Training new employees
- Making management and budgetary decisions
To qualify for a nurse manager role, nurses first need to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. A master’s degree in nursing isn’t always required, but it can help set candidates apart from the competition. You can also obtain nurse management and leader certification from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership.
What to expect in a nurse manager interview
Shantelle Mobley, MSN, RN, a registered nurse manager at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, says nurse manager candidates are often interviewed by a manager, director, and the chief nursing officer at Mercy.
“Each person within the group completes an evaluation,” said Mobley. “If the candidate is a strong choice, the director of the department will ask the staff nurses to interview the candidate and ask for feedback.”
Michelle Lopes, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President of Hospital Operations and System Chief Nurse Executive, at John Muir Health in Walnut Creek, California, agrees that having staff nurses interview potential nurse managers is critical.
“Nurses know their unit culture better than anyone and finding the right fit is essential,” she said.
Qualities of a nurse manager
Lopes says nurse manager candidates should highlight their work history, clinical experience, involvement in professional organizations, and career progression when applying for a nurse manager role.
“If we’re hiring for a med/surg manager, we ideally want someone who has experience in that type of unit or a related unit,” she said.
“We think it’s important to find a candidate who has worked in the same type of environment as the staff they’ll be representing,” Lopes continued.
Lopes says it’s equally important to identify candidates who reflect the John Muir Health Brand Promise, “We listen. We explain. We work together as a team.” Candidates also need to understand the organization’s commitment to creating a culture of high reliability.
“We believe nurse engagement is vital in creating an environment where nurses can give the very best care,” she said. “Nurse managers play a pivotal role in creating such an environment and must be proficient in including staff nurses in decisions that affect their work.”
Mobley adds that she looks for nurse managers who demonstrate flexibility, versatility, open-mindedness, the ability to work well with others, and a commitment to the mission and culture of MMC.
“Communication and collaboration go hand in hand with strong leadership skills,” said Mobley.
Nurse manager interview questions
Lopes says her team uses behavioral interview questions to get to know a candidate’s thinking patterns and determine how they lead in different situations.
“We ask questions about past work experience, career progression, and what they know about our organization,” said Lopes.
Mobley says questions may include:
- Why should we hire you for this position?
- What strengths do you possess that will contribute to this new role if hired?
- What values are most important to you as a leader?
- What strengths will you bring to our organization?
- How do you handle workplace stress?
- Describe how you would handle a busy workload.
- How would you go about addressing underperforming quality metrics?
Managing staff
Nurse managers do more than oversee staff, they’re also responsible for scheduling, coordinating staff training, supervising nurses’ patient care, and motivating and supporting their employees.
To determine how prospective nurse manager candidates have worked with their staff in the past, Lopes said her team asks open-ended questions that require candidates to think about how they handled past situations, such as:
- How did you deal with the suboptimal performance of a staff member?
- Share an example of how you helped a staff member improve their performance.
- Give an example of a time you had to terminate the employment of a staff member.
- How did you navigate making a decision or a change in the department that wasn’t well received by the team?
- How will you uphold a policy or leadership directive that you don’t necessarily agree with or understand?
Consider forming a response to these questions using the STAR interview method:
- Situation
- Task
- Action
- Result
This can help you to form a concise response to how you approached a past challenge, the action you took, and the results.
Since retaining nurses is a priority for hospitals, nurse manager candidates are also asked about specific strategies they would use to retain nurses, while also preventing staff burnout, said Lopes.
“We always ask candidates how they engage staff, obtain feedback, and work to understand the needs of their staff,” said Lopes. “We look for examples of things they’ve done to retain staff and tools they’ve used to obtain staff feedback.”
Patient satisfaction
Nurse manager candidates should anticipate being asked about how they ensure positive patient outcomes and increase patient satisfaction.
“We look for examples of how they worked with an upset patient or family member to change the experience to a “customer success story,” said Lopes. “We also like to hear how candidates have supported staff through a difficult patient and/or family interaction.”
Lopes stated her team asks a similar question regarding a difficult physician interaction.
“If our nurses are advocating for a patient and not getting providers to respond or engage, how would they step in and help?” she said.
Mobley added candidates interviewing for nurse manager positions at Mercy are also asked about their rounding strategy. Rounding is a best practice that allows inpatient nurse leaders to connect each day with patients, caregivers, and care teams.
Mobley said these questions can include:
- Are you aware of the impact of patient rounding?
- Tell me about your patient rounding process. Is it proactive or reactive?
- How often do you anticipate rounding?
- Do you include the Charge RN in unit rounding?
- What patient experience questions will you ask the patient? For example, do you ask a patient if their pain is being managed or if they have resources post-discharge?
Avoid these red flags during an interview
Delanoix said nurse manager candidates should be prepared to answer questions such as, “Can you tell me about a time you dealt with a situation, where you wish you had made a different choice? What would you have chosen to do differently?”
“We’ve all made mistakes, so if a candidate says they can’t think of anything, their answer feels disingenuous,’ she said.
When asked why a candidate is applying for a nurse manager job, she cautioned against replying that it’s simply the next logical step in their career path.
“I want to see passion and motivation,” said Delanoix. “I also want candidates to ask me questions about the job, nurse retention, and nurse satisfaction scores.”
According to Delanoix, it’s also important to hear how nurse managers practice inclusion in their unit.
“Most nurse managers oversee a team of individuals — not just nurses, but also clerks and nursing assistants,” she said. “I want to hear a candidate describe how they work to make each staff member feel seen and appreciated.”
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