You're Hired!: The New World Of Hiring Nurses??

[All4NursingRN]

I was reading another thread and related to this topic.

It seems as though the days of graduating from nursing school and easily finding a job in any speciality (or one of your choice) are long gone.

Now the process of employment in nursing seems to be like that of the business world.

A few months ago I applied to a prestigious hospital and had to go through muliple processes before I even had an actual interview.

Behavioral tests, phone questionnaires, interview with HR, and then finally an interview with someone in nursing.

Little did I know that I was being scored and gauged all throught these processess.

By the time I got to my second and last interview, the first question out of the director's mouth was why I scored low on interpersonal relationships (or something to that effect)

I was stunned. I'd been on many interviews over the course of my career, but I'd never been on an interview where my answers to ''what would you do'' or ''have you ever'' type questions were scored, I had thought I did great on my first interview. Secondly what answer could I provide her? I knew I was a great nurse and great co-worker and no single interview or battery of questionnaires could ever or would ever showcase that.

A career that should be so personal has become so impersonal.

It seems as though they are using all these qualitative tests to weed out the worst when in fact I believe they only fail to measure what is truly important in a candidate and fail to highlight potentially great candidates.

There is no test out there that can give you the best candidate. Employers are going to have to fess up to taking a risk, the same risk that prospective employees takes when they accept a new position. It may or may not be the right fit.

The nursing world is filled with too much politics, and the hiring process is one that's full of politics. They have all these hiring tools, but yet they'll still just hire someone they like or someone they know. Most of these hiring tools are just meant to weed out anyone who can't conform to their wants or anyone who will rock the boat.

It seems like every other profession, nursing is all about employing robots to do the job. If you don't fit the mold, you're out!

[Crazed]

I reached a point about five years ago when I decided that I would no longer play these games. Now when I have someone ask me a question I answer them honestly. If someone asks me about a flaw I say things like, "I'm not a morning person. Apparently punctuality is important, but since I've installed a tens unit in my alarm clock I find I am less likely to hit the snooze button."

Humor is a lot like large amounts of wine, works every time.

I think people are being bullied into not being themselves. I think there are things that shouldn't be looked at prior to employment like credit checks for non-financial positions, and ridiculous personality testing. I once didn't land a job because my personality profile was creative, the same as the manager interviewing me, and she determined that I would be unhappy doing the job because she would be unhappy doing the job.

Cause, you know, saying always, seldom, never, to the same question means we are the same person. (ow I sprained my eye when I rolled it)

In short, for as much as I look forward to working I wouldn't put myself through this sort of nonsense.

[katnurseswims]

It's pretty much all based on behavior now. They want to know what you would do. They already know you have skills, knowledge, & some sort of experience. Or they can train you in to their department. Hiring is now all about who you are and if you can fit into their team. Questions like "what would you do" and behavioral tests, etc., are a good example of this. Be prepared because that's pretty much how all hiring is now.

[ksrose1]

It took me three months to get the job I have now when we moved to El Paso. I've gotten so tired of all the test you take when you apply for a nursing job. My husband is a business major and I actually let him answer the questions for the "what you you do" and "how would you react" business oriented questions. This is wrong of course and I know this, but I'm a nurse. I truly care about my patients and their health, even if the company I'm working for or the patient themselves don't!

[lbrn22]

Interesting. However, one of these days coming soon there will an exodus of nurses retiring. They cannot work forever. With the process listed above, they have effectively tossed new nurses from the occupation b/c WE CAN'T WAIT FOREVER.

[Flatlander]

Thanks, Summit, for the reality check about the overabundance of nurses and the dig about generating more nurses. Our government and institutions of higher learning are heavily involved in this... as we speak! Health and Human Services Director Katherine (?) Sibelius has directed huge funds into building up university nursing programs. They still expect a nursing shortage, but not until other things happen, like universal health care, improvement in the economy, boomers finally having enough savings or poor enough health so they can/must retire.

I just heard this morning that American workers' productivity rose by 2.2% over the last quarter (again), partly because employers are squeezing more work out of present employees rather than hiring more. (Automation and technology are driving some of the increase, too, apparently.) On that happy news, the stock market will probably rise. I tell you, the system is rigged.:) Or ... it is just behaving normally to keep the hospitals and clinics open, and the economy from entirely collapsing.

I appreciate the comments above about staying current and protecting your career, having backup plans, etc. (This takes more ingenuity and effort for the unemployed recent grads. A Per Diem job -- can that work for a new grad?) Thanks again All Nurses for the helpful discussion.

[Zapazol]

I have been through with for a job that I had over 5 years experience at. Sure I left it but left on good terms and was informed that should I wish to apply in the future they would be glad to have me back. Then they changed the hiring process. I reapplied 3 years later.

An HR Drone asked a series of questions. Almost none had anything to do with nursing at all. That was after I took the company's 4 on-line evaluation tests and was told I passed them with flying colors. It was clear the HR drone was paying little attention to what answers I gave but was clicking away on a keyboard.

I eventually received a computer generated form letter saying that someone more suitable had been given the position. And good luck in your career search.

Any attempts to contact the HR Drone to see what might have caused a concern or how I might have improved my chances at the job in the future were ignored.

[FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN]

I haven't read the entire string yet, so forgive me if I step on someone else's post, but so many of you are right on the border of why these test are being administered, but not quite there yet. Violence in the Workplace, has become such a common occurrence these days that employers, under the guidance of the US Department of Labor and particularly the auspices of OSHA, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Hospitals and generally every other major employer has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards violence in the workplace. Some of these personality test are geared towards screening out violence or even those with a propensity towards violence. I know each of you in your orientation manuals have also gone through some sort of violence seminar or class put on by the Hospital or facility you work at, as they are required by OSHA. So love them or hate them, these test may be saving your life, you never know if they have already screened out some crazy from working on your unit, that may have taken you all hostage or worse yet, simply come in with an automatic weapon. A little different scenario, but you never know how things are going to pan out for you but, I once worked with a Nurse that was picked up by Ted Bundy, fortunate for her, a police car was right behind them a saw him pick her up so she was okay and he let her out a few blocks away unharmed. Also, back in the mid 80's, I worked with an RN who killed 12 of her patients with insulin overdoses, her name was Bobbie Sue Dudley, and she was the 11-7 Supervisor at a Nursing Home in St. Petersburg. Not far from here, a man, Bruce Young, also an ex-nurse, brutally raped 7 patients, the youngest of which was only 15 years old. He initially was only sentenced to 17 years, but fortunately he was stupid and he screwed that up and he was violated on his parole and he went back in front of the judge and received 210 years, which he is currently serving. Thankfully, he won't be released until 2137. And for good measure a final instance; Nurse Brian Rosenfeld, local authorities say, went years going from nursing home to nursing home; killing patients they attribute 29 deaths to him. Jailhouse snitches say he admitted to 23 murders. During the investigation, Detectives examined 201 deaths and exhumed bodies in five states. He is currently serving a natural life sentence in prison. Things aren't always what they seem and sometimes you have to rely on subterfuge of sorts, to wean it out. It isn't always pleasant; do the ends always justify the means? If it protects patients and the staff from the dangerous, and crazies of the world, I would have to think that it is. These are very serious times we live in and while it may not always be pleasant, like the intrusiveness at airside checkins, we may just have to adapt to things being done in our own best interest.

[sunnyskies9]

I can't relate, because that hasn't been my experience at all. Clearly this hospital sounds like one few people would enjoy working at. All I had to do was interview with HR and my nurse manager, and I got the job. No pointless questions to answer.

[JMBnurse]

I've never had to take a personality test, but I have had to endure the subjective, "Tell me about a time when...." type questions in interviews. But, I do wish that some of the nurses I worked with over the years had been given a pre-employment personality test. I think it's safe to say I would never have met some of them if they had, lol. I think they would find out more by letting some people feel free to just talk. "Tell me about yourself....".

I have worked with nurses who weren't all that skilled, but they had great personalities and made everyone smile and got along with everyone and loved their job. I have worked with other nurses who were so skilled and talented I wouldn't want anyone but them taking care of my sick child, but yet didn't care for their personality and they couldn't get along with anyone on the floor. So, I don't think those tests make a bit of difference. You won't know what you got until you hire 'em!

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

It is an employer's market. Soon the nurses will get tired of the bad treatment d/t the attitude that 'there are 100 nurses behind you to take your place if you don't like it' and they will leave nursing; then there will be a shortage again. The pendulum seems to swing back and forth on this over the years. We just have the misfortune of being out there in the time of overage. This too shall pass...

I agree with you. My prediction is dire for the hospitals in a near future. Nursing is a very difficult job which requires a difficult education and some guts. It is not easy to find trained nurses but right now this situation is resolved because of this deep recession we find ourselves in. Hospitals have it good right now and they would love it to stay that way. Soon the winds will turn and the economy will pick up with vigor and this will bring the most dramatic changes to nursing.

The next nursing shortage will be one never seen before in the history of the U.S. From one side we will see nurses leaving the profession in astronomical numbers. Group 1 will be the retiring nurses, group 2 the burned out and tired of being overworked, group 3 will be the most significant and they are the nurses that came back to work during the recession and they are basically the ones creating this huge glut. On the other side of the fence you have the patients. Group 1 the newly ensured health reform population, group 2 the newly employed people who now have insurance and can get care and last group 3 but not least let's not forget the baby boomers. To make matters worse we have 6 or 7 years of only training half the nurses which could have been trained in normal times and also remember, a large number of these nurses who could not get work are now working in different fields and might never come back to nursing. This is my little prediction. When will it happen? Don't know but one thing I can for sure say, the longer this lasts the stronger will be the rebound. So hang in there.