7 Essential Nurse Manager Interview Questions to Ask

High-quality nursing leadership is key to providing exceptional patient care. A clinical nurse manager (CNM) develops quality improvement projects, staff wellness initiatives, and budget goals. These professional skills take years to master, making it even more challenging to find the right CNM to lead your team. Asking insightful nurse manager interview questions (in addition to writing a targeted job description) can help you identify the best possible candidate.

In this article, we’ll review seven example CNM interview questions — and answers to listen for — to help you hire the best employee for the job. Looking for more insights? You can also browse current nurse manager openings to learn what qualities other facilities are looking for. Download our free nurse manager evaluation form below to keep track of your next round of interviews.

Nurse Manager Interview Questions and Answers

To prepare for the interview, start by gaining some insight into the current nurse manager hiring market. After you’ve done your research, begin creating interview questions for nurse managers. Interviewing candidates gives you an opportunity to ask about situations that reveal a leader’s behaviors, skills, and experience.

Effective nurse management is essential for optimal patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, and regulatory compliance, so it’s important that you put in the time and effort necessary to pick the best possible candidate. Here are some sample interview questions to get you started.

1. What makes you excited about joining our team?

Introductory nurse manager interview questions can help you gain insight into a candidate’s personal and professional background. While the question may seem generic, answers can highlight whether a nurse manager has done their research into your facility.

After the candidate responds, discuss details of the position that might not have been mentioned in the job description. Describe any special roles or responsibilities they may not be aware of to help them fully understand nurse manager requirements at your facility.

What to listen for:

• Genuine interest in the role and understanding of the unit’s services
• Alignment with your facility’s mission and values

Potential follow-up questions:

• How have your past experiences prepared you to manage our unit?
• In your view, what makes a great nurse leader?

2. Tell us a bit about your management style.

You’ve probably read a bit about the candidate’s previous roles in their cover letter. However, asking this question allows interviewers to better understand a candidate’s leadership experience while also determining whether they’re a good fit for your team.

What to listen for:

• Ability to discuss challenging subjects calmly and professionally
• Effective communication skills and willingness to be hands-on with clinical team when necessary

Potential follow-up questions:

• How do you keep your nursing team motivated?
• Have you ever had concerns about a nurse’s performance? How did you handle the situation?

3. What qualities do you look for when hiring clinical employees?

Nurse retention plays a big factor in an organization’s operational budget, and hiring strong clinical nurses is essential to patient safety and satisfaction. Whether you’re hiring a nurse manager or assistant nurse manager, interview questions should ascertain whether a candidate has the skills necessary to find and hire top-tier nursing professionals.

What to listen for:

• Understanding of key nursing traits and attributes that drive success (e.g., relevant clinical experience, respect, empathy)
• Ability to set aside personal biases when evaluating nursing candidates

Potential follow-up questions:

• How do you assess culture fit when hiring a new nurse for your team?
• What measures do you take to ensure that your unit is adequately staffed?

4. Describe a time your team had a conflict. How did you manage the issue?

You’ve established a basic understanding of how the candidate builds and leads their team, but how do they handle things that don’t go according to plan? Segue into more complex nursing leadership interview questions like these to see how the CNM solves problems under pressure.

What to listen for:

• Confidence in facilitating difficult discussions and mediating solutions
• Strategies to prevent conflict and remove fear from the workplace

Potential follow-up questions:

• Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision for your team.
• What strategies do you use to promote a culture of transparency?

5. Imagine that your unit has seen an increase in patient falls over the last three months. What would be your next steps?

Exceptional nurse managers have strong clinical awareness and judgment in addition to leadership skills. When faced with poor nurse-sensitive indicator data, it’s important that managers motivate their team to develop meaningful care improvement initiatives. Strong answers to problem-solving nurse manager interview questions like this show that a candidate recognizes the value in continuous quality improvement.

What to listen for:

• Ability to get to the root of issues and collaborate with the clinical team to improve practice protocols
• Flexibility in learning and adopting new strategies that have been successful for other units

Potential follow-up questions:

• How do you evaluate the success of a new care initiative?
• How do you encourage and promote nursing innovation among your staff?

6. What would you like to accomplish while working as a CNM in our organization?

It’s important that nurse managers envision short-term and long-term goals when applying for vacant positions. Candidates may focus on improving clinical outcomes, reducing facility spending, or building a cohesive multidisciplinary team. Whatever their initial strategy, knowing that they’re aware of organizational needs shows that they’re invested and want to make a difference at your facility.

What to listen for:

• Clear motivation and passion for improving the work environment
• Ability to set realistic goals that align with the facility’s needs

Potential follow-up questions:

• Can you give me an example of a goal you set in a previous role and how you worked to achieve it?
• Has there ever been a time that you had to adjust your priorities due to unforeseen circumstances? How did you handle the situation?

7. How do you encourage your staff to balance personal commitments and work responsibilities?

Your final nursing manager interview question could touch on the subject of nurse burnout. Poor nurse engagement is a major concern for facility leaders and can significantly impact patient outcomes and satisfaction scores. Studies show that employee retention and satisfaction start with work-life balance.

What to listen for:

• Understanding of the physical and emotional demands of the nursing industry
• Promotion of healthy coping strategies among staff and indication that the candidate also knows how to handle the stressors of being a manager

Potential follow-up questions:

• What would you do if you noticed that nurse turnover in your unit was increasing?
• How do you ensure that your staff feel comfortable sharing concerns about their working conditions?

We Can Help You Quickly Fill Your Nursing Vacancies

When you’re hiring a healthcare leader, answers to well-structured nurse manager interview questions can reveal if a candidate has the skills for success. Sometimes, finding the right candidates to interview can be the toughest part of filling a vacancy. Post your open positions on our nursing job board to quickly reach candidates in the largest nursing network in the nation.