Originally Posted by freetofly
Thanks for replying everyone... I have not set any restrictions on what type of job I want. At first I was looking for NICU but lately I have applied for any med-surg job. I really don't care what hours, I prefer day but I'll take night.. I always mark days, nights, weekends.. I still get nothing back! I have not even had an interview in months. I already looked into the local community college and they don't have any interviewing classes...I know that this is where I need help. I also have trouble answering situational questions since I have virtually no experience.
Might want to think about applying at hospitals that are a further commute away. As for the HR, look at your resume first. Is it set up well? Perfect spelling, good format, concise? Professional sounding email address on it? (I've seen people use addresses such as shopaholic@blahdotcom, babaliscious@blahdotcom, etc) Do you include a customized cover letter with each resume you send out? When creating a cover letter, first research the company, their mission/vision/values, their history. Then write a small summary highlighting why you are a good overall candidate for the specific position you are applying for. Connect yourself not only to the position but to the hospital itself, by stating why you are a good fit for both. Weave in your research of the company. Be enthusiastic the whole way through.
After you send out your resumes, take a couple of hours and mentally prepare for possible questions they might ask (prepare too for a possible unexpected phone interview!). Thoughtfully answer each question on a piece of paper:
-tell me about yourself
-Name your 3 top strengths
-Name 3 areas you can improve on (In this answer, ALWAYS include an addendum of how you are working to improve that weakness)
-What would your last boss say about you?
-Tell me about your last boss (BE POSITIVE)
-Tell me about a conflict at your last place of employment (state here how it was resolved; be as positive here as you can)
-Why do you want to be a nurse
-Why do you want to work on our floor?
-What brought you to apply to our hospital (include your research of the company here!)
-What are your short term and long term goals
-Tell me about a difficult patient situation in the past (talk about student nursing or CNA experience here)
-Tell me about a time where you advocated for a patient
-You come on shift and the patient's family comes to you with many complaints about the prior nurse, how do you handle the situation?
-You walk into a patient's room and find he is not breathing. What do you do? (ABC)
-A doctor has ordered an obese patient receive medication with a dose that is larger than the normal dose's range. What do you do?
-What do you do if you have a conflict with another nurse? (talk to that nurse, then follow the chain of command)
-What do you do if you have questions about how to best care for your patient? (name your resources, charge nurse, nurse manager, the computer, call pharmacy, education department, and don't forget you can call other departments to talk to their nurses, such as call oncology for a question on medication for your MVA cancer patient.
-List the 5 medication rights.
-tell me about a time when you made a mistake
-what is a common misconception people have of you?
-do you have any questions for me(the interviewer)? (try to ask a question here! It makes it look like you are more interested in the position)
Remember, your customers are both internal and external, they include fellow nurses, patients, families, drug reps, doctors, etc.
Weave in as many personal experience stories here as you can, to give examples of what you are saying. It shows you are involved and engaged in patient care. Recall any cool stories you experienced during nursing school or any other healthcare experience. Write this all down, and review it until you can answer the above questions with confidence. Review it before walking into HR as well.
Bring an extra 2-3 copies of your resume/cover letter for your reference during the interview and for an extra interviewer if they need. Be prepared.
Re-look at job postings daily, and think about applying to non-hospital settings too. And don't forget to use good, solid eye contact, and smile a lot!!
Send a hand written thank you note, or if it is deemed acceptable, a thank-you email to the interviewers, which re-affirms your interest in the position.
Look into volunteering or starting more classes too.
Good luck!
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Chloe
