1st "non-new grad" interview... help please!

[fmwf]

Hi everyone. What do I need for my first (internal transfers sp 9months) interviews as a RN and not a GN? I had one that I bummed out ...whew. Can't say I was prepared for these type of questions....some classic, some trick (yep).

Tell me about one time when you made an error

...(I do not feel safe answering since I work in that division, for only 7 months and hardly have had one

conversation w/ a preceptor, educator or manager

or

never had a med error yet cause I check and recheck Lord)...

Tell me about a time when a pt/client complained about you.

(What is the right attitude to have for this? Like, what does management

really

think about the complaints about nothing

?)

Tell me what you did when you wanted things changed

. ("Interviewer:" Oh you did not talk to others b/f your manager did you?" Like, what does THAT mean????? I have been a nurse for less than one year, of course my needs/ideas come up in the daily grind w/floor nurses... are we

really

serious here? :trout: )

And then there was the question x5

....."(something) about customer service"

. I have NO idea what to say. NONE. Like yes I believe in service excellence wahwwah whhaah wahaw. What to say to convey that I am an altruistic human with finely honed ethics and I too can display attentive conscientious respectful nursing care. (Talk just feels soooo cheap to me...I am a show-me girl.)

Those were the ones that I failed...what others should I be prepared for...What does a unit really want to know about me? want me to say? Where does honesty come in? authenticity? ok my organizational self and my personal self? My next interview is Monday at a L&D up the road....I really want (and need) this!

Show me some love y'all....

fmwf

[smile123]

First, take a deep breath. These are interview questions to "put you on the spot" and get you to think critically (I know, we get that in nursing school, but it's so true). There are no "right" answers. They want to see how you answer them. Let's take them one by one:

1. Tell me about one time when you made an error.

If you haven't made an error so far, congratulations. If you took out a med and rechecked it, found it was for a different dosage, and corrected it before giving it to a patient, that could be considered a near miss. Or it could be considered just part of your job as a nurse to double and triple check your meds before you give them. If you did make a med error (and believe me, all nurses have in their career), how did you respond? What did you do? How was the patient? etc. They are interested in the way you handled the situation.

2. Tell me about a time when a pt/client complained about you.

If a pt complained about you, what was the scenario? They want to see if you become defensive. Was the complaint legitimate? Were there circumstances beyond your control? How could you handle it in the future? They want to see if you are patient centric, a patient advocate. Can you handle criticism, (justified or not) and remain professional and caring? Or on the flip side, if you haven't had any patient complaints, say so.

3. Tell me what you did when you wanted things changed.

In this question, they want to know how observant you are. Can you see the big picture? Is there some systemic to the work place, your job, etc. that you would like to see changed? The part about talking to others before your manager sounds like something may have gotten back to the manager. Perhaps you could ask what that's referring to - a rumor mill? Ask yourself, are you adding to the rumor mill? Are other nurses complaining about the management? Are you part of it? It's easy to get sucked into swirling negativity and whining, but recognize it and rise above it.

4. ....."Tell me (something) about customer service".

This is your chance to shine. Customer service is really about patient advocacy. You can relate some specific situation you encountered where you helped a patient and they thanked you for it. Or something extra you did for the patient and they were grateful.

The best way to answer some of these questions is to clarify the question and give some specific examples from your work on the floor. You have nothing to be afraid of. Be confident and you'll shine. Good luck.