Nurse Scholarship Candidate Questions

When selecting candidates worthy of scholarship money, committees often pay a significant amount of attention to the answers that these potential scholarship recipients give to interview questions. If you are looking for scholarship money to enable you to continue your nursing study, and one of your scholarships requires the completion of an interview, it is wise to spend some time considering the questions you might face before you head into the interview.

In some cases, you'll be asked in-depth questions on a scholarship application form. Whether you have an in-person interview or are writing a nursing scholarship essay, prepare several quality answers for each before settling on one.

Nursing can be a rewarding field, but it can also be a taxing one. The scholarship selection committee will likely be eager to learn why you felt called to nursing. When preparing your answer to this question, try to go beyond the simple, “I like to help people" response. If, for example, you starting to think about nursing after a family member suffered an illness, share this experience with the committee.

Older applicants might want to discuss why they want a career or life change. Try to include information that shows what you will be able to offer, rather than just what you want.

If there is a particular reason why you need this scholarship money more than most, share this reason with the committee when they pose this question or one similar. For example, if you are a working mother of two who must have scholarship money to make your nursing school dreams a reality, make this clear to the committee, showing them that the scholarship will make or break for you. If you are going into a specific area of nursing, such as geriatrics, surgery or informatics, talk about why you want to specialize.

To be a good nurse, you must be able to recognize a good nurse. When asked what makes a quality nurse, craft a multifaceted response, making reference to a good nurse's ability to meet patient needs, be consistent and be part of a team. Avoid simply saying that a good nurse is kind and considerate, as there is much more to being a good nurse than just that.

If there is something about nursing that particularly catches your interest about any job, sharing this key area of interest with a scholarship committee can set you apart from the rest, advises jobs website Indeed.com. For example, if you are particularly intrigued by technology used in nursing, telling the committee about this passion may make you seem more dedicated, different and deserving than the other candidates.

Ultimately, scholarship committees want to make sure that they give their scholarship money to the most deserving candidates, points out Laboure College of Healthcare. Explain why you would be the best possible candidate by outlining ways in which you will make the committee proud.

If, for example, you are currently taking part in a potentially important research study or plan to travel abroad and work as a nurse in another country, tell the committee about these lofty endeavors as they may make you seem a better overall candidate than others.