Intrusive application questions!

Nurses Career Support

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I was recently completing my hiring paperwork for a pediatric home health company, and I came upon a "health history" page. It asked me to list every surgery I've ever had, the date, and why. It then asked me to list any new or chronic health conditions I've been diagnosed with in the last 5 years!!! When I asked why they need all that information; they stated it was pertinent to ensure we're capable of performing the functions required for the job! Also, they sent a paper to each of your prior employers that had to be returned prior to starting where they graded you 1-5 on dependability, attitude, etc., then asked if we were ever disciplined and why. I very honestly told them I had no interest in working for an employer that felt entitled to that much personal information, especially home health that offered average pay and said they are building clientele and have people who have been hired for 5 months that haven't gotten a patient yet!!! Forget it!! Anyone else have their employers ask questions this personal?

The questions about your work history, dependability, etc. were not personal questions. The questions about your medical history, however, were pretty intrusive. I wouldn't be answering those kinds of questions either.

Yes your work history is open season. That wasn't what I considered intrusive. I just never have seen a full sheet that had to be sent back before employment can start. I think every job I've had has required contacting former employers. Just found the questionnaire itself to be odd and something I've not seen before!

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I know, it happened right here in the US, people still ask the "illegal"questions, theres virtually nothing you can do other than wipe the shock off your face.

This person also would call and leave a message (I learned never to answer my phone), about picking up a shift and if you didn't call back would call you back 8,9,10 times. This person would also change peoples time cards from home if they punched out late (illegal as well)

That was a FUN place to work.

Did you report the time card changes to Dept. of Labor or whoever would be interested in that sort of thing?

How were time cards changed from home?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

For a government nursing position, I had to have a physical with an occ health PA as well as a lab draw - and not just labs for titers. One job (civilian, not military or government) measured my waist as part of my employment inprocessing, when I did the fit test and all that. Military nursing was 200% all up in my business. So, yes. Sometimes I have been asked a lot of personal questions for employment.

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Well good thing they didn't want to measure my waist...I'd have been disqualified right there! :roflmao: nteresting experience ! We already know we're held to higher standards than other fields. I wonder where it's appropriate to draw the line? I have though seen people who were not "fit" mentally or physically for their occupation and it would probably be best to ensure they were.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

I found out that many of these questions are, in fact, optional and nobody cares if they are even answered.

I was so pissed off with one recent hospital staff application which asked, among many other things, about my husband's and "other partner's" (I still wonder who he or she might be) name, contact and occupation that I wrote over that part "why do you ever care?" The response was immediate, fully apologetic, and like "oh, we just wanted to know more about you - but if you do not want, that's fine".

Yeah, guys. If I ever decide to get a lover, you'd not gotta be the first to know about it (sarcasmometer rings up) :sarcastic:

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
For my job on a gero-psych unit, I was asked: if a had a boyfriend or husband, and then I was asked if I planned on becoming pregnant in the next two years.

I kept the shock off my face! But my head was like *****

I got asked pretty much that exact same question once. Wasn't a nursing job, but

a graphic design job. Still... geez, get a clue people.

The great thing was, the interviewer's attitude made me not want the

job anyway. So I didn't give a rat's behind.

That moment.. that moment during an interview when you've

decided that you DON'T WANT this job... that's when you start

messing with your interviewers. "Will I have time during the

day to set up my altar? I need you to know, I'll be bringing

in crystal bottles full of goat's blood, and sacrificial baby

chickens". That kinda thing.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Well good thing they didn't want to measure my waist...I'd have been disqualified right there! :roflmao: nteresting experience ! We already know we're held to higher standards than other fields. I wonder where it's appropriate to draw the line? I have though seen people who were not "fit" mentally or physically for their occupation and it would probably be best to ensure they were.

It's pretty appropriate to draw the line at questions that can be asked legally.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

It seems like every job I've had in my life, as time has progressed, has become more and more intrusive in the info that it asks. The last one had a two page check list of potential diseases/diagnoses, including a write-in section for any hx of mental health problems (past or current). Specific items that they wanted to know about on the checklist also included frequent hemorrhoids, a weak urine stream, menstrual cramps, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, number of pregnancies and living children, and if I examined my testicles regularly.

They also wanted to know every medication, including OTCs and vitamins/supplements (past and present!) that I had taken.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
It seems like every job I've had in my life, as time has progressed, has become more and more intrusive in the info that it asks. The last one had a two page check list of potential diseases/diagnoses, including a write-in section for any hx of mental health problems (past or current). Specific items that they wanted to know about on the checklist also included frequent hemorrhoids, a weak urine stream, menstrual cramps, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, number of pregnancies and living children, and if I examined my testicles regularly.

They also wanted to know every medication, including OTCs and vitamins/supplements (past and present!) that I had taken.

I kind of understand about OTC meds (they can interfere with drug tests, after all) but for the rest I am speechless. You can EITHER ever be pregnant, or examine your testicles, isn't it so?

I think that, since so many people share every little detail of their lives online, it is become a common impression that nobody minds being asked those questions. I recently saw two "emergency" contacts (one must not be a direct family member), full current employment history for both of us and similar medical info (OTC meds, periods times, etc) for "just a little questionnaire as we want to know more about you" for my 14 years old who finally grew into doing her hairs on regular basis.

Well, you might continue to want to know... and I might want to continue to pass you by because of that

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I kind of understand about OTC meds (they can interfere with drug tests, after all)

Maybe.....but they don't do the drug tests in employee health....theysend you offsite. Your employee health records (and HR) shouldn't be involved with your drug test results until it is "pass" or "fail".

Also, the pre-employment drug screen was before the health interrogation day.

Also, I could always start taking a new OTC med later on that interfered with a future drug test.

I think they just like to have as much info as they can get in case it somehow becomes useful to them in the future.

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You don't have to answer them according a book (Cracking The Nursing Interview) is just read. Some questions are asked that shouldn't be asked but they trick you into volunteering your information.

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Maybe.....but they don't do the drug tests in employee health....theysend you offsite. Your employee health records (and HR) shouldn't be involved with your drug test results until it is "pass" or "fail".

Also, the pre-employment drug screen was before the health interrogation day.

Also, I could always start taking a new OTC med later on that interfered with a future drug test.

I think they just like to have as much info as they can get in case it somehow becomes useful to them in the future.

Part of the reason they want that info is to use against you in future, if you ever have a workers comp injury, or disability they will look through your medical hx to see if any of your other medical hx can be claimed as a preexisting condition.

I know a nurse who put down her previous knee surgery 10 years prior, her own doctor gave her his blessing to do anything, she fell at work, tore meniscus, work comp denied her saying her previous injury and surgery caused her meniscus to tear from wear and tear. She had a lawyer who fought hard for her, she still lost.

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