After spending an immense amount of time on my nurse practitioner program applications by writing lengthy essays, requesting letters of recommendation, perfecting my resume, and holding my breath as I finally submitted each application, I anxiously waited to hear back. When I finally received a request for an interview, I was so excited! I then began my detailed research on how to ace the nurse practitioner school interview.

Nurse practitioner schools lately have become more competitive each year. The number of applicants is increasing every year making it difficult to stand out in the interview. I have created a detailed guide from my personal experience including interview tips, interview questions with examples of answers to help you master your nurse practitioner school interview!

Before the Interview Tips

Preparation

Preparing yourself for the nurse practitioner program interview will really make a difference in how well you interview. As soon as you receive the request for an interview, start preparing and don’t put it off until the day or two before the interview.

Purpose of Interview

Let’s start with the first tip by reminding ourselves why the nurse practitioner program is interviewing you. The purpose of the interview is to get to know you! They have seen your resume, school transcripts, volunteer work, essays, and letters of recommendation. Now they want to see how you would fit in with their school, faculty, and students. They are trying to get a better sense of who you are.

For this reason, don’t let the interview intimidate you. Don’t overthink the interview. Don’t try to act or be someone you are not. You are being interviewed because they are already interested in you. This is your time to shine!

Types of Interviews

What type of interview has the nurse practitioner school requested? There are several different types of interviews that are commonly used:

• In-Person: This is the most traditional type of interview used by nurse practitioner programs. In this type of interview, you will meet at a specific time and location to meet the interviewer face to face.
• Phone: This is another common method used to interview Nurse Practitioner program applicants. The interview is done over the phone so a specific time is arranged for a phone call between you and the interviewer.
• Video-Messaging: Otherwise known as a “Skype” interview. This type of interview uses a computer program that allows the interviewer and you to both see and talk to each other by video. Like the phone interview, a specific time is scheduled, but not necessarily a location.
• One-Way Video: This method requires you to record a video of yourself answering questions provided by the Nurse Practitioner school. That video is then submitted to the Nurse Practitioner school. Each school can do this type of interview differently. Some programs provide specific questions to applicants ahead of time to prepare for the interview. Others provide general ideas and questions for preparation, but the actual questions are only available when self-recording the video.

It is important to identify what type of interview the nurse practitioner program is requesting. Each method can require different preparation and if you are wanting to ace that interview, your preparation makes the biggest difference!

Date and Time

I recommend marking in your calendar the day and time of your scheduled interview. Showing up late is never a good first impression. From my personal experience, I checked the time only once until the day of the interview and almost showed up at the wrong time! So double-check and triple-check your day and time of your interview.

Arrive early to the interview. I would advise you to show up for the interview at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time. I would plan to arrive even earlier to the general location to allow time for any unplanned commute delays, difficulty finding parking or anything else that may unexpectedly come up. It is better to wait in a parking lot or close by building for 30 minutes than to show up late to the interview.

Location

If you need to meet at a specific location, I suggest you go and scope it out sometime before the day of your interview. My tip is to measure the time it takes to commute there, locate the parking location, time how long it took to find parking, and even how long it takes to walk to the building. It is best to do this on a day similar to the day you are interviewing. Commute time and parking can be very different on a weekend than a weekday.

For phone or video interviews, find a location that is quiet without other people around. If you can do this at your home, great! However, if you have family, roommates, neighbors, or even pets that may interrupt or distract from the interview find another location. Places like a library or study room work well. You will want to avoid areas with posters, photos, or clutter in the background. A well-lit area always makes a better presentation as well. Test the area beforehand to make sure you have phone service and internet. You wouldn’t want a dropped call during the middle of your interview.

Review

Often the interviewer will ask questions about examples from your work as a registered nurse, volunteer work, or even your undergraduate studies to understand who you are during the interview. A helpful tip I found useful was to review your resume and try to recall experiences from my past working in the medical field and while studying as an undergraduate.

Often graduate schools will ask “behavioral questions” such as, “ Can you give me an example of when you failed to meet a goal and how you handled it?” Or they frequently ask “competency questions” such as, “Can you give me a specific example of your leadership skills?”.  These questions evaluate past behaviors and actions from a variety of different scenarios to predict your future actions as a potential nurse practitioner.

It’s easy for your mind to go blank during the interview when needing to come up with specific experiences to answer these questions. Reviewing the previous jobs you have worked and other notable experiences will help you more easily recall scenarios to answer these type of questions.

Understand the Role of an NP

Nurse practitioner programs are looking for applicants who understand the role and career of a nurse practitioner. It is very common in nurse practitioner school interviews that they will ask what you think a nurse practitioner is, especially relating to the medical specialty you are applying for such as a family nurse practitioner or acute care nurse practitioner.

You probably have worked with nurse practitioners from working as a registered nurse. This experience is helpful to understand what a nurse practitioner does, but it is often not enough. You can do your research online about the nurse practitioner role and why it is a great career. But this too is not what a nurse practitioner school is looking for in applicants applying to NP school.  

I would suggest that you shadow a few nurse practitioners as a way to understand what a nurse practitioner does first-hand. This demonstrates you have taken the initiative and gone out of your way to understanding the nurse practitioner role. This really appeals to nurse practitioner programs that you have taken the time and are serious about pursuing a nurse practitioner career.

Create a few key statements on what you think the role is of a nurse practitioner. Describe how you have come to this conclusion by describing nurse practitioner shadowing experiences. It may benefit you to mention misconceptions of nurse practitioners and how they are different than other medical staff such as registered nurses, physician assistants, and medical doctors. Explain why you want to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner and what interests you working in this specific role.

Stay Up to Date

It is important for medical providers to stay current in medical research and even politics. Nurse practitioner programs like to see potential students already taking the initiative to stay involved and up to date.

I would recommend reading several articles on recent research on any medical topic if you aren’t already. From those articles memorize a few main ideas and how that research can be used, especially as a nurse practitioner.

Understanding nursing politics can seem overwhelming. To make it simple, I went to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and explored their advocacy section to find the latest topics. You can also look up recent news articles on the internet regarding nursing and politics. Find at least one topic that you could talk to the interviewer about such as expanding nurse practitioner autonomy in more states.

These small steps can make a big impression on your interviewer. Having specific examples and being able to expound on these topics will make you stand out. Don’t skip these small steps!

School Overview

How well do you know the university you have applied to? What about their nursing program? Do you know their mission, vision, and values? It will be worth your time to research the university, the nursing school, and the nurse practitioner program.

I suggest you talk with an admission counselor or even better schedule a tour of the nursing school. I was able to tour through the nursing school I applied to and found that one of the most helpful ways to prepare me for my interview for several reasons.

First, I was able to familiarize myself with the nursing school’s physical location. I was able to plan my commute time, find the designated parking areas, walk through the school and even able to find the exact room where my interview was going to be located.

Secondly, I met with the nursing school’s admissions counselor. This gave me an opportunity to gather as much information about the university, nursing school, and nurse practitioner program. I then used that information in my interview for questions such as, “Why do you want to attend this university?”, “What makes this nursing school stand out to you?”, “Why do you think this nurse practitioner program is the best fit for you compared to other schools?”. The admission counselor from this tour essentially gave me all the answers they would be looking for in my interview.

Another benefit to taking a tour was the opportunity to meet the faculty and staff of the nursing school. I was able to meet the dean of the nursing school, several professors, current students, and even the person who would be conducting my interview. I felt much more relaxed going into that interview knowing I had already met the person to interview me.

If a tour isn’t possible still take advantage to talk to the school’s admission counselor. Gather as much information about the university, nursing school, and NP program from them as you can. Write the key concepts down so you can use them later to prepare for your interview. This will help you tremendously with your nurse practitioner school interview.

Rehearse

Practice makes perfect! One of the best ways to prepare for your interview is to actually practice interviewing. I have a list of commonly asked questions for a nurse practitioner school interview in this article. Go through this list of interview questions and create answers that relate to you and your experiences. Come up with several scenarios from your experience that you can use for different topics, such as leadership, critical thinking, teamwork, goals, volunteer work, and education.

The next step is to memorize your answers, not necessarily word for word though you don’t want to sound like a robot. Memorize the general idea of answers or stories. This will help you to be able to adapt and emphasize different parts of your experience depending on the specific question the interviewer will ask. You want your responses to sound genuine.

After creating and memorizing your answers, have someone go through the list of questions and practice interviewing you. Treat this as a real interview! Practice not only saying your answer but practice your tone and inflection while speaking and your body language.

Make sure the person you are practicing with is taking this seriously as well. You want to be able to depend on them to give you honest feedback to help you improve. I recommend having several people practice interviewing you so you can receive different feedback. I sometimes struggled to listen to others critique me and how I interviewed. I took it personally and had to remember that they are showing my weak areas only so I could become better. Make sure you listen and are open to their feedback.

Appearance

It is human nature to judge people by first glance. Your overall appearance will significantly influence the interviewer’s first impression. Let’s make sure you leave a good impression so let’s talk about your appearance for your interview.

Most importantly, make sure you are clean. Shower the day of the interview and wear deodorant. Avoid any perfumes or colognes, so that you don’t leave any overpowering odors or cause allergic reactions. Brush your teeth before you go and don’t smoke or eat anything immediately before your interview.

Your appearance overall should be neat, clean and conservative. I would suggest wearing a suit for men, and a blazer with a skirt or pants for women. Avoid any clothing that is sheer, low-cut, or very tight fitting. Don’t wear any skirts or dresses that are shorter than knee-length, even when sitting.

Like your clothing, your shoes should be neat, clean and conservative. Avoid very high heels, open-toed or open back. Make sure your shoes are comfortable to wear. Keep in mind the distance it takes to walk from your parking space to the interview. It is also possible that the interviewer will show you around the nursing school. Cute shoes are not worth the discomfort.

Make-up and nail polish should also be kept conservative. Neutral tones are recommended and avoid any unusual or loud colors and very long nails. Jewelry and hair accessories should be minimal. For example, wearing a large number of bracelets can be loud and distracting during the interview. You want the focus to be on you and your accomplishments, not your jewelry.

During the Interview Tips

What to Bring With You

Always come prepared to your interview! There are several essential items you need to bring with you to every interview: 

• Resume Copies: Although the interviewer may have already seen your resume, always bring copies with you to your interview. There may be more than one interviewer so bring multiple copies. The resumes are helpful if you need to refer back to it.
• Folder: During one of my interviews, I was given several handouts and papers. I luckily brought a folder with my resumes and was able to use that to carry the handouts. This gives the appearance that you are prepared and organized.
• Pens and Notepad: Bring more than one nice looking pen just in case one of them does not work. Your notepad should be clean and professional looking. You will most likely not need to take notes until you ask questions during the interview. Be selective about what you choose to write down and keep it short.
• Phone: I recommend to bring your phone, but silence any notifications, texts, and phone calls. Do not put it on vibrate. You do not want you or the interviewer to be distracted by your phone. If you feel like it may be too much of a distraction leave it in your car. However, there are many reasons to bring your phone with you. In fact, I used my phone during an interview to confirm I had received a particular email. I also used it to put in the contact information of the interviewer. I used it to verify interview instructions and directions to my interview. If you are not using your phone keep it out of sight during the interview.
• Bag or briefcase: You will need a bag or briefcase to hold your folder, resume copies, phone, pens, and notepad. Even a clean well kept backpack would work as well. Having this with you will help you stay organized and look professional. Here are 2 briefcases that I recommend*: https://amzn.to/2K7W4ye and https://amzn.to/35yKljM. 
• Prewritten questions: During the interview, you will most likely be asked if you have any questions for the interviewer. It’s easy to forget or have your mind go blank during the interview so I suggest writing down a few questions on paper before the interview. This can help prepare you to ask quality questions to show your interest in their nurse practitioner program and learn more about that nurse practitioner program.

Body Language

As mentioned earlier, people’s first impression of you is heavily based off of your appearance, which includes your body language. Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. You want to appear confident, calm, and professional even though you may not be feeling so on the day of your interview.

Stand and sit with your back straight and shoulders back. Avoid hunching over, leaning back, and slouching your shoulders. If you cross your legs, cross them at your ankles and not at the knees. Do not cross your arms, this can make you appear defensive and uninviting.

The amount of eye contact during an interview can be difficult to determine in an interview. I tend to look away too much when interviewing. A useful tip I learned to look interested and engaged during the interview was to rotate looking at the different parts of the interviewer’s face every few seconds. For example, switch from looking at the eyes, the nose, and the lips. This helped to avoid looking away from the interviewer and awkward constant eye contact as well.

Be aware of restless habits during the interview, such as bouncing your leg, twirling your hair, cracking your knuckles and just fidgeting in general. These behaviors express nervous energy. You want to appear calm and confident. I suggest after each new question asked, do a quick self-check to stop any fidgeting or restless behavior.

Speech

How you say things often says more than what you actually say. Even if you have the perfect answer to the interviewer’s question, you need to be able to present your response well when speaking. Here are some ways to improve the way you speak when interviewing:

• Speed: Avoid speed talking during an interview. You will want to speak slower than you normally would in a lively conversation. Talk as if you were at a presentation or doing a public speech. You want the interviewer to be able to concentrate on your message. Don’t be afraid of silence and pause between phrases and at the end of sentences. Take a moment or two before responding to their question.
• Filler Words: Examples of filler words are “um,” “uh,” “so,” “like,” and “you know.” Saying a filler word once or twice during the interview is not very noticeable. When those words are said repeatedly throughout the interview, it is very noticeable. Using these filler words can make you sound unconfident, unsure of what you are saying, and unprepared for a nurse practitioner program interview. If you notice yourself frequently using filler words, remember it is better to have moments of silence to collect your thoughts than repetitively saying these types of words.
• Grammar and Slang: Interviews are supposed to be a professional setting. Your speech and use of language are supposed to reflect that as well. Avoid slang words such as “ain’t” and informal words or phrases like “you guys.” Use professional language and proper grammar even if you don’t speak that way on a normal basis.
• Volume: Make sure your interviewer can hear you but don’t make them feel like you are shouting at them. When initially meeting your interviewer take note on the volume of their voice. Those speaking quietly won’t necessarily appreciate someone talking back loudly. And vice versa those who speak loudly may have a harder time communicating with someone who speaks very quietly. When practicing interviewing, also practice your voice volume.
• Rising Inflection: Also known as singsong or up-talk, this when your tone of voice rises at the end of your sentence. It makes your sentence sound like a question. The rising inflection can make you appear unsure of what you are saying. If you notice you are “up-talking,” practicing forming shorter sentences and make your tone of voice come down at the end of the sentence.

Actively Listen

During the interview, many different thoughts and ideas will be running through your mind. Stay focused on your interviewer and actively listen to what they have to say.

Nod your head occasionally and look interested in what the interviewer is saying. You can also ask clarifying questions or rephrase what they said. Remember it’s easy to get excited and eager to respond to what they are asking, but let them completely finish their sentence.

Actively listening can help you interview better and show that you are engaged and interested during the interview.

Stay Positive

It is important to stay positive during the whole nurse practitioner school application process, but especially when interviewing. How you feel about yourself influences how you interview. Focus on positive thoughts and remember they invited you to interview because they think you are a great applicant with the potential to be one of their nurse practitioner students.

Smile! Smiling has been shown to put you and the person you smile at in a better mood. Keep your comments positive throughout the interview. Don’t talk negatively about past employers, professors or classes you have taken. Describe every situation as a positive or beneficial learning experience.

After the Interview

Thank You Letter

When your interview is finished, send a thank you letter to your interviewer. A thank you letter can be a traditional letter or note, but writing an email has become much more accepted lately.  This is important for several reasons:

1. A thank you letter helps you stand out. Not many applicants send thank you letters after their nurse practitioner school interview. It shows your appreciation for them taking the time to consider and interview you.
2. You can fix any mistakes you made in the interview or explain anything further. Sometimes in an interview, your nerves make it difficult to come up with or explain a perfect response. It’s not until you get home that you think of what you should have said. These letters give you the opportunity to rephrase anything or add important information that you wished you would have said.
3. In your letter, you can repeat and summarize why you should be in their nurse practitioner program. You can mention topics discussed in your interview that will help remind them of the conversation with you. It’s another chance to tell them you are interested and why they should choose you.

To send this letter you must have their contact information. If you don’t have it already, after your interview you can ask for it or for their business card. If for some reason you weren’t able to obtain it, you can look for it on the school’s website or call their main office.

I recommend keeping the letter short and simple. Thank the interviewer for the opportunity to meet and interview. Indicate your interest and excitement in attending their nurse practitioner program. Summarize a few key ideas and points such as your skills and strengths. If needed, rephrase or add information you weren’t able to at the interview in this letter.

Before sending this letter, proofread your letter several times. I also suggest having a friend proofread through it. This letter can be less formal, but it still needs to be written correctly. The thank you letter represents you, just like the resume and essays you wrote.

Follow Up

Most schools will provide a timeline of when they will follow up with you after your interview. Aside from the thank you letter, wait to follow up in 1-2 weeks. If you haven’t heard anything during that time, contact the school or admissions counselor to get more information.

Stay Positive and Patient

After your interview, waiting to hear back from the nursing school can be nerve-wracking. At this point, you have done as much as you can to earn a spot in their nurse practitioner program. Stay positive and don’t be hard on yourself. Avoid focusing on things you think you did wrong or obsessing over details. Mark your calendar when to follow up with the nursing school and try putting your acceptance in the back of your mind.

I hope this detailed guide helps you prepare and do well in your nurse practitioner school interview! I wish you the best!

Which interview tips did you find the most helpful for your nurse practitioner school interview?

Comment below and let me know!

Don’t forget to check out the other helpful articles on this website!

• NP School Interview Questions & Answers
• The Top 9 Things Most Nurses Don’t Know When Applying to NP School
• How to Prepare for NP School – Advice From Current Students
• How to Prepare for NP School While Still in College

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