5 Common Hospice Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

I interviewed for my first nursing job when I was in the middle of studying for my state nursing exam. The interviewer was aware that I had to sit the exam a week after my interview, and that any job offer would be contingent on successfully passing the test. For a two-week period, I was perusing hospice nurse interview questions while also looking over chapters in my textbook. In addition to those tasks, my mother was battling breast cancer at the time and I was her primary caregiver. In the end, I passed my state exam, and was offered my first job as a hospice nurse.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to help people, so I’d say I’d always considered caring professions. However, my mother’s fight with cancer was very long, and my role as her caregiver caused me to research the hospice nurse specialization and realize it was really where I wanted to focus my efforts. I came to that conclusion about halfway through nursing school.

There was an instance a couple of years ago where a patient’s daughter was not happy with her mother’s wishes about end-of-life care. This conversation happened when emotions were high and both parties wanted to be heard. Ultimately, I was able to remind the upset daughter that her mother had completed a will the year before, and that the document outlined treatment directives. Once the daughter realized that, she calmed down and understood that legally, I had to abide by what was written in the will.

About a year ago, I was caring for a lady who was within hours of the end of her life after dealing with a form of skin cancer that is very hard to treat. She was extremely anxious because she was estranged from her family and did not want to die alone. I assured her that I’d be by her side when the moment came, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her fear coming to pass. I sat with her for about an hour after she expressed he anxiety to me, and by the end of the conversation, she was much more at ease.

A close friend asked me to help her prepare for a potential job of her own by quizzing her with hospice nurse interview questions. I happily did so, but during the process, noticed that she had given an answer that didn’t match up with something I saw on her resume. I asked her to clarify her response, and ultimately helped her convey herself so clearly that she was offered the job. She confessed if I had not been paying such close attention to details, she would have continued to express herself inadequately, which would have likely resulted in another candidate being offered the position.