First interview advice

[meg2014]

I have an interview next week! It is for a rn position on a medical surgical floor at a small hospital. Night shift. Does anyone have any advice for the interview??

And if I get the job, any advice for a new nurse just starting out? Any advice for night shift?

Thanks!!

[Gr4ceffa, CNA]

meg2014,

Sell yourself, make yourself seem very good, but not over dramatic.

Always watch what the other experienced nurses are doing, you will learn much more by doing that, don't be afraid to take notes if it will help you out, and possibly the patients!

Just stay awake, it's usually quiet at night, depending what hospital you work at, but keep yourself busy, charting, etc.

Goodluck!

[dragonflylilly]

Just like Gr4ceffa said, sell yourself. They'll know you're a new grad so they'll probably ask you about things you would know.Maybe they'll ask a priority question in regards to caring for a patient or ask you to talk about a time a patient was difficult and what you did; I'm giving you those examples because that is what I got asked. Make eye contact with the person/people who are interviewing you. Don't know if it will be a panel but if it is and one person asks a question don't just look at them, make sure to make eye contact with everyone else. I can't help you regarding night shift, I am on days although I am on a med-surg floor. When you get a job I would recommend finding an good organizational sheet to have all your patients information and ask a lot of questions! I've been off orientation a few months now and I still ask questions if it is something new. Good luck with the interview!

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

Dress for success on your interview! (I wore a real suit and dark blue top, watch, and tasteful small jewelry)

Have hard copies of your resume, cover letter and letters of recommendation (if you have them) with you.

Make eye contact with the interviewers.

Be able to articulate why you want to work in that hospital on that floor.

Be ready to answer the most common interview questions; such as a time you made a mistake, why we should hire you, your greatest weaknesses, etc.

Have questions of your own ready to ask such as what are you looking for in a new hire/new grad?

Follow up with a thank you letter.

[DTWriter]

Research the hospital's mission/values; interviewers tend to ask questions based off that.

As for asking questions...

Ask the questions that you cannot find on your own (such, how do they do scheduling for their department, how are you evaluated during orientation, will you get the same preceptor or multiple preceptors, etc.)

Don't show that you are desperate for a job.

To help with nerves, treat the interview as if you are interviewing them. Believe me - so long as you have a RN license, and you are willing to relocate, you can get a job

[NurseLauraM]

Bring a professional-looking portfolio with your resume, references, copy of your license, etc. and have it handy. They usually have this stuff printed, but sometimes they forget or they lose it.

A quick google search of "common interview questions" or "interview questions for nurses" will help you anticipate what they might ask. Read them and think about your responses (if you can, try and practice with someone who can give you feedback if you can). Also be prepared to answer the "where else have you applied?" question. That one caught me off guard the first time. It's sort of like when you go on a date and they say "so, are you seeing anyone else?"

You could actually probably make a lot of comparisons between interviews and dates. I think there is a Seinfeld bit on it.