Nurse Residency Interview

MJH3483, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2013

If your nurse residency is anything like my fellowship there is plenty you can do. Like any job, you should separate yourself from the pack. I worked in corporate Manhattan before nursing and feel I have interviewing down solid. I will leave out the obvious, ie arrive early, dress appropriately, bring plenty of resumes/cover letters etc. A nice touch is to have a professional reference sheet ready prepared along with recommendations, transcripts, license/registration. Shows you are prepared.

First, know the hospital: why that hospital, their mission, vision, awards, Magnet status (and what Magnet means/goals), DOH stats, key players (CEO, COO, etc)

Second, know your unit (characteristics similar to the hospital): what they do (actual types of nursing care/procedures performed), why specifically you want to be there, managers, DOH statistics, awards, etc

*Hospitals, administration, and nurses like statistics and evidence - give them concrete answers, ie, "I want to be part of this unit bc it is in the top 5% for outcomes with minimal mortality rates, etc."

*Have questions prepared to ask and listen to what they say to ask questions with regards to the convo.

*Get contact info and send thank you letters. Try not to be generic wit prepared answers, write each person with something you specifically spoke with them about.

Third: google situational/behavioral interview questions. This is very helpful to get your mind in interview mode to provide answers that relay more than just a face value answer. Your answers tell them a lot about you. Turn any negative into a positive, ie how you learned, gained new insight, etc

Fourth and most important: know your sh*t. They may ask you to describe your most complicated patient and then drill you. For my fellowship in the CTICU, I literally spent an hour and a half answering nursing Qs such as s/s of this and that, what would you do, what labs would you get, what would these labs present as, how do you prevent this, what's the antidote for that, what scale do you use to assess this, name drips, what route would this med be given, etc etc.

I don't know if it will be the same extent but you get the picture.

Most importantly, be yourself, be calm and confident. Relay qualities of a self-motivated leader, team player, and communicator and you will be the perfect candidate. There is a vast majority of info and public knowledge on the Internet, so definitely use it. I hope this helps and apologies for any errors as I typed this on my phone.

donk · Jul 19, 2013

^ wow great advice!! I'm book marking this for later!!

Good luck on your interview :)

MJH3483, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2013

^ wow great advice!! I'm book marking this for later!!
Good luck on your interview :)

Haha thank you. I just believe there is no reason not to be top dog. The gift of gab goes a long way ESP when one is prepared. By being able to connect with the interviewer changes the meeting from formal to informal and makes it into a conversation (which means they like you). In the end if one does not get a job for whatever reason, but the interview went well, one may be called back or considered for a different role. Best of luck and if further clarification is needed, feel free to give a shout.