Re: ICU Interviews do's and oh no she did not's!!

To get a position where I work you must have at least two letters of reference from employees. I agree that employers do not want to hear,"I am going to hang with you for a year so I can get into school." I want to work with people who want to be critical care nurses.

Re: ICU Interviews do's and oh no she did not's!!

All these people that are getting interviews for ICU and are using it just for a stepping stone just slay me!! Not that I don't understand why; it is just that I am envious.

I am a new grad and I want to be an ICU nurse, period. At this point, I would love an interview, even if it was for a janitorial position!! I really don't care where I start, I just want to get started and some day move into ICU. I will be starting an ADN to MSN program in Nov; not because I want to move out of the ICU. I am starting it now since I am use to writing papers etc; however my main motivation for this is that I am 54 and probably won't want to be pounding the floor when I am 64.

Re: ICU Interviews do's and oh no she did not's!!

I just had an interview and was hired same day. We actually talked for quite a while (two different managers, a charge, educator and me sitting around a table) Was a really great interview, and they were very welcoming. I forget the exact wording but here are a few questions that I remember....

Explain a difficult ethical situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it.

Tell me about a time you went the extra mile for a Pt.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years.

Why do you want to work in ccu/icu?

What qualities do you think is important for an icu/ccu nurse? Why?

How do you handle stressful situations?

What are your areas of strengths/weaknesses

What is your definition of teamwork?

What is the best job you have ever had and why?

Does you manager know that you have applied.

What would your manager say about you as a nurse?

Re: ICU Interviews do's and oh no she did not's!!

When interviewing for an ICU position, we are looking for someone who is willing to put forth the time and energy necessary to grasp what it takes to be a critical care nurse. Enthusiasm is always a plus. Be honest and be real. Don't make overeager promises (if you hire me I promise I will study the most/ work the hardest/ read every journal in publication/ blah blah blah). If you don't get selected the first time, don't become discouraged. Learn from it and drive on. There will always be another opportunity to apply. I know many new grads want to jump into ICU right away, but having a year or two of med-surg under your belt isn't a bad thing. In fact, we like nurses who have that experience. You have already dealt with time management, patient management, and family management issues. As for the CRNA debate, those who want to run off with only one year of ICU experience are only shorting themselves. Trying to be a CRNA with only one year of ICU experience is like learning how to drive then applying to be a NASCAR driver. Part of this problem is the fact that CRNA schools will accept candidates with such little experience. Probably just a sign of the times.

Re: ICU Interviews do's and oh no she did not's!!

So, did you get the ICU job or any ICU job??