Top 21 Nurse Practitioner Interview Questions In 2024 [With Answers]

Medical professionals all across the globe are highly respected and honored because of their life-saving skills. It is no wonder that with a rapid increase in new illnesses and viruses, over the past years, the need and demand for these medical practitioners has increased manifolds. A nurse practitioner is also a medical professional who works at a very preliminary level, as a physician, and performs duties such as examination of patients, suggesting diagnosis tests, prescribing medicines, etc.

Being a highly sought-after profession, medical practitioners fetch good salaries, coupled with lucrative incentives and other benefits. With high-paying prospects and a limited number of vacancies in premier medical institutions, even a small number of job openings attracts a huge number of applications from interested and eligible candidates. Thus, serious preparation is needed, which can be done by studying the frequently asked interview questions.

21 Best Interview Questions To Study

1. Name Any Three Deficiency Related Illnesses and Sources Associated With Vitamin B1.

This question aims to test your core knowledge in relation to the various Vitamins.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

Sources of Vitamin B1	Illnesses caused due to deficiencies
Meat	Beri-beri
Oatmeal	Wernicke-Korsakoft Syndrome
Milk and Eggs	Paralysis

2. What Are The Two Forms Of Vitamin A?

This question aims to test your core knowledge in relation to the various Vitamins.

Sample Answer

Sir, The two forms of Vitamin A are:

• Retinol: This type of Vitamin A is necessary for the proper functioning and maintenance of our Retina. Primary sources are Cod liver Oil, Dairy products, and Egg yolks.
• Beta-Carotene: This type is plant-based and is present in the chlorophyll of the plants. When we digest the plants, this chlorophyll gets converted into Vitamin A inside our stomach. Its primary sources are Dark green leafy vegetables, Carrots, Brocolli, Mango, etc.

3. How Is A Peripheral Nervous System Different From Central Nervous System?

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the nervous system.

Sample Answer

Sir, a peripheral nervous system consists of Cranial nerves, which are Sensory nerves (which carry the message towards the brain) and Motor nerves (which carry the message from the brain). On the other hand, a central nervous system is entirely different and consists of four parts, which are:

• Cerebrum
• Cerebellum
• Brain stem and
• Diencephalon

Each part of the central nervous system performs a variety of different functions and is responsible for the normal functioning of our human brain and various motions.

4. Explain In Brief, The Four Lobes Present In One Of Our Parts Of The Brain.

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the human brain and its various parts.

Sample Answer

Sir, Cerebrum is divided into two parts, which are the Right Hemisphere and the Left Hemisphere, and is also divided into four lobes which are:

Names of the Lobes	Functions performed
Frontal Lobe	Related to management, control, and influence of personality.
Temporal Lobe	Controls our activities such as Hearing, Storage of memory, and its re-calling.
Parietal Lobe	All the sensory inputs are interpreted into shape, size, texture, etc.
Occipital Lobe	All the visual inputs are interpreted.

5. Name The Four Functions Of Hypothalamus Gland Present In Our Brain.

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the human brain and its various parts.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

• Controls our body temperature and maintains it to 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Controls our appetite or hunger
• Maintains the level of water in our body
• Maintains all the pituitary secretions
• Controls our sleepwalk cycle.

6. Define Brain Stem and Its Various Parts In Brief.

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the human brain and its various parts.

Sample Answer

Sure sir. A brain stem is the center for respiration and manages as well as controls our cardio-vascular activities. A brain stem is responsible for joining the human brain with the spinal cord. It is divided into three parts, which are:

• Midbrain
• Pons and
• Medulla Oblongata

7. What Is Your Understanding Of the Islets Of Langerhans?

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the Pancreas and its two portions.

Sample Answer

Sir, Islets of Langerhans are present in the endocrine portion of the Pancreas. These are nothing but a collection of cells that have been named as Islets of Langerhans. This collection comprises the important Beta cells, which are responsible for the production of Insulin. Further, these also comprise Alpha cells, which are responsible for the production of Glucagon.

8. Name The Biggest and Smallest Gland Of Our Body and State Their One Funtion Each.

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the various glands present in our human body and their functions.

Sample Answer

Sure sir, these are:

Name of the glands	Functions
Liver – Largest Gland	Emulsification of fats, by breaking down the larger fat molecules into smaller fat molecules, which aids in easy digestion as well as absorption of food.
Pituitary Gland – Smallest Gland	It produces the growth hormone, which is known as Somato Tropin.

9. Why A Few Patients Need Special Care? Does This Amount To Partiality?

This question tests your knowledge of the practical working procedures associated with your core job profile.

Sample Answer

Sir, The elderly and the children are the ones who need special care and attention due to their inability to take care of themselves completely. In my opinion, biasness or partiality would be, when a normal patient is getting special treatment due to his or her high stature and influence.

10. Medical Professionals Are Ignorant and Haughty. Comment.

This question criticizes your own profession that you ought to defend by giving an ideal response to this interview question.

Sample Answer

Sir, in my opinion, this statement is partially true, as it depends upon the individual to individual as all have different attributes, characteristics, and behavior patterns. If you ask about me, I am not at all haughty, rather I always maintain a sweet smile and charm, whenever I attend to any of my patients.

11. What Does Hyper-secretion and Hypo-secretion Of Adrenal Glands Causes?

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the various types of diseases associated with our excretory system.

Sample Answer

Sir, The diseases caused are:

Cause	Name of the Disease
Hyper-secretion	Cushing syndrome
Hypo-secretion	Addison disease

12. What Are The Four Nitrogenous Bases Present In Our DNA?

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the various types of nitrogenous bases associated with our DNA.

Sample Answer

Sir, The DNA has four nitrogenous bases which are:

• Adenine
• Guanine
• Cytosine
• Thymine

13. A Nurse Practitioner Has To Perform A Variety Of Tasks In A Single Business Day. How Do You Prioitize?

This is a common interview question and the interviewer asks this question so as to determine your prioritization technique. Using an effective technique, you can execute all your tasks and duties in a time-bound manner. In case you haven’t developed your strategy yet, please refer to our famous article, which will guide you completely as to how you can prepare an effective strategy.

14. What Are Your Major Weaknesses As A Nurse Practitioner?

An interview session is almost incomplete without a strength-weakness-related interview question. This question is, however special as you have to quote those weaknesses which hampers your working as a nurse practitioner. This is undoubtedly a negative question, but so as to reduce its effect of negativity, you are advised to mention the ways or manners which you must have adopted to eliminate your weaknesses. In case you are still confused, please refer to our famous article, which will guide you through.

15. Failures Are A Part Of Life. How Do You Handle Them?

This question is a personality evaluator and the ways that you will share with your interviewer will help him to analyze as well as assess your overall personality. Handling the failures in life effectively, so that they do not act as a bottleneck in your regular functioning is a common requirement for all business organizations. Thus, always answer this question in a positive and persuading manner. In case you are short of answers, please refer to our famous article, so as to boost your preparation and increase your chance of selection.

16. What Motivates You To Work At Your Workplace?

An interviewer is always interested in knowing the factors as well as reasons, which prompt you, motivate you, and stimulate you to rise up daily, reach the office and work with all the passion and enthusiasm. These factors are personal to an individual and are largely influenced by circumstances, financial conditions, and personal desires. Thus, this eliminates the scope of any generic answer, and hence always extend an original reply. In case you are still confused, please refer to our strategic post.

17. Can You Work In A Team? If Yes, What Is Your Ideal Team Culture?

Nowadays teamwork is the preferred mode of working and is adopted by several prominent business organizations operating in the world. First of all, you must be ready and willing to work in a team environment as this is a common expectation. Secondly, for the other part of this interview question, you are supposed to tell, how should your ideal team members and the culture be like. It can be supportive, less talkative, serious, etc. Whatever it is just share a genuine response. For in-depth and better preparation, please read our exclusive post.

18. Why You Chose To Work With Us?

This interview question helps an interviewer to assess your level of commitment as well as seriousness towards the company. It is an established fact that candidates apply to several business organizations simultaneously, some of which are preferred and some find their place lower in the priority list. The best way to prepare for this interview question is to study the official website of the company and note down all the relevant facts and details. This information coupled with your own personal preferences towards joining the company would serve as the perfect and ideal response. For better preparation, read our exclusive post.

19. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

This is a common interview question and an interviewer always likes to take a quote of your salary expectations during the interview session itself. This is an important interview question as any random figure extended can reduce your chances of selection drastically. Prepmycareer advises to always share a salary bracket that is based on thorough research and analysis of the relevant industry. For further understanding and in-depth preparation in regard to this interview question, please refer to our famous article.

20. When Can You Start With Us?

Through this question, an interviewer wants to know about your expected date of starting. This question in no way guarantees your selection and just requires you to state your availability. It is true that immediate starters are always preferred, yet, Prepmycareer advises to always be genuine and share a true date. Further, you are required to control your emotions and maintain focus so as to give crisp replies to the other interview questions. Prepare sincerely for this interview question by reading out our specialized post.

21.Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

It is common for the interviewers to close an interview session through this question. With this interview question, an interviewer gives an opportunity to a candidate to ask a few questions in relation to the organization, in regards to the work culture, work timings, allowances offered, etc. Like all, this question too is a relevant and important interview question and must be prepared with great zeal and enthusiasm. Readout our model questions below:

• What are the various allowances and incentives that are offered by the company to its regular employees?
• Is it the policy of the company to extend paid leaves to its employees?
• Medical professionals are at high risk for contracting viruses. Does the company offer medical insurance to its frontline doctors and nurse practitioners?

The ending of an interview session matters a lot. Close your in interview style and get complete guidance in this regard, by referring to our targeted post.

References

1. https://search.proquest.com/openview/2454bfff2662e0997b75a301ed82a6fc/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861020309683