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Discussion

Got an interview - Help me finish up my preparation!

I'll try to keep it short . Graduated in May and now officially licensed. I finally got my first interview in a CVICU in a very nice hospital down in Panama City, Florida (I'm from TN), and I'm really looking forward to this because it's what I want to do. I've been doing a lot to try to prepare for this. I have a document with several possible interview questions which I'll post last , so please feel free to add more. I saw a great link on this site with many questions too that I'll look into later.

1) I've been told and read to do research on the hospital that you're applying for. I know this is helpful in asking them questions and showing them how interested I really am. Well, I've been doing that a little, but what exactly am I looking for? What kind of questions about the hospital should I be able to answer in an interview?

2) How many copies of my resume/cover letter should I take? I have to meet with the HR representative, the nurse manager of the CVICU, and the chief nursing officer of the hospital (they said I had to because I'm out of state).

Got a nice outfit for the interview and all of that good stuff. I just have to finish putting together my portfolio from nursing school and print stuff out on "nice" paper.

3) Anything else I need to be reminded of besides basic interview skills.

Here is my list of questions I'm preparing. Feel free to suggest more. Thanks in advance for any response.

Questions to answer:

1) Strengths/Weaknesses?

2) Time management/organization?

3) Core values of the hospital? Answer questions about hospital. Why that hospital?

4) Why they should hire me?

4) How to handle stressful situations or how you would react?

5) What would prevent you from being able to perform on the job?

6) How do you handle mistakes? Ever made one?

7) How would you describe yourself?

8) Hardest decision you've ever made?

9) Tell us about yourself? (Talk about future, goals, professional aspirations, other interests)

10) Most difficult situation encountered and how you handled it.

11) Personalities you struggle with.

12) How would you describe your skills as a team player?

13) How you deal with difficult doctors, patients, and families?

14) How do you deal with unexpected circumstanced such as being short staffed and performing treatments you haven't done before"

To ask:

1) Orientation program - length, classroom teaching

2) Qualities of a successful candidate

3) Continuing education opportunities/classes? (Professional development opportunities)

4) How often do nurses get floated to other units?

5) Scheduling?

6) Nurse to patient ratio? Support staff on the unit for nurses?

Thanks for reading.

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    Things I have been asked:

    Tell me about a time that you went above and beyond for a patient.

    Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how you handled it.

    Tell me about a time you had a customer service issue, how did you handle it. (as in unhappy pt)

    Tell me about your values.

    What three words would your former supervisor use to describe you?

    Why do you want to work for this company?

    How many times have you called in in the last 12 months?

    What do you do to be a team player?

    Tell me about a time you intervened for a pt.

    I think the best advice I can give you is to not dig too deep for answers that don't come to you quickly. Don't admit to any conflict with anyone. It doesn't matter if you've overcome any personality conficts at work, I don't think HR wants to know that you've ever had any! Just stay on the positive of everything you are asked. If you've never encountered a CS problem don't try to come up with one :). Good luck!!

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    Basically, if you passed NCLEX, the hospital already knows you're qualified as an R.N. (albeit a "new" RN that needs lot of coaching and training initially).

    So, the purpose of the interview is to find out if you fit into the "culture" of the hospital and the unit. Thus (as the previous post alludes to), you'll be asked situational questions that help the interviewer judge whether you "fit in". So, think about difficult/stressful situations you've experienced, how you've dealt with them, and what you learned from them).

    An important "situation" for a new grad is knowing when to ask for help. You're not expected to know everything as a new grad, so the hospital wants to hire someone that realizes when a situation is beyond your limited experience and is willing to ask for help.

    Lastly, write a thank-you note to all the interviewers, reiterating an important point of discussion and emphasizing your interest in working for the hospital / unit. Write the note the SAME DAY (bring note cards, envelopes, stamps with you) - even consider leaving the thank-you note with the dept secretary/front desk so it reaches them soon after your interview.

    Good luck with the interview and your new career.

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    I was also asked (interviewed for ER and Med/Surg):

    Describe what you would document if you changed a wound.

    Tell me what you know about HIPAA.

    What would I do if my pts. BP dropped?

    What was the most constructive piece of criticism that I received in clinicals?

    What was my favorite part of clinicals?

    Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. How did you remedy the situation?

    They also asked me if I had a tearful pt. who was begging me to stay with them but I was terribly busy, what would I do?

    I had some other pt. scenerios, but this was for an ER.

    Pt. A couldn't breathe, Pt. B had arm pain and pt. C was brought in and was in the room with the paramedic. Who would I see first? The answer was pt. C because they were an unknown and you always go with the unknown first. It trumped breathing. In hindsight that's kinda common sense, but I was nervous and went with ABCs. :)

    I know you aren't interviewing for ER, but I hope it helps.

    Good luck! That sounds like a wonderful opportunity.

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    You might want to familiarize yourself with the hospitals goals, if they are listed on the hospital website. If they are not listed look into what kind of things the hospital is doing in the community as well as any new programs they are starting. Good luck!

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    What was the most constructive piece of criticism that I received in clinicals?

    Wow, never heard that one! What a good question. I've been sitting here for 5 minutes trying to think of my answer to that one LOL

    Good luck, OP! You sound well-prepared! Keep us updated. :)

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    I struggled with that one and I didn't get that job! Needless to say I am a med-surg nurse and perfectly OK with it. LOL

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    • Author

    Thanks to all that replied to my thread. It is greatly appreciated. I'll try to let you all know how it went.

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    • Experts

    A couple more tips:

    1. Show a genuine interest in the patients and their needs. Believe it or not, most hiring managers actually care about their patients and want to hire staff members who care, too. So, instead of just asking about the resources available to help the nurses ... ask about the needs of the patients and the types of services available to help THEM. Too many applicants focus on "what's in it for THEM" and seem to not care about the patients at all. Be sure to demostrate a genuine caring about the type of patients in that department and a desire to do the specific type of work required by the job.

    2. Instead of just asking if floating to other units is required (which might come across as negative in that you might not be willing to do it). Try to sound positive about it and ask something like ..."If floating to other units is required ... what types of units would I be most likely to be floated to? ... and would there be any orientation or other resources to help me adapt my practice to the unfamiliar unit?"

    As the 2 suggestions above imply ... frame your questions in as positive way as possible ... positive from the hospital's view and not just from your point of view. e.g. Not focused on "What's in it for me or what resources are there for me," but rather "What resources are available to help me do the best work for the patients and for you? What resources will I have to work with that will help us achieve the hospital's goals?" Some people don't see the difference in those 2 perspectives -- but they can come across very differently in an interview situation.

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    Lots of great information in this thread. Thank you to all who contributed. :D

    OP, I hope you get the job! Good luck!

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