Hello worked in LTC WITH psych patients and want to(always did) want to be a....con't

[CrystalClear75, BSN, RN]

Hello,

I have an interview at a psych hospital on Wednesday for the job I've always wanted since graduation. I applied persistently but most hospitals wanted some kind of experience. I have 2 years experience working with the elderly and many of them also had co existing mental disorders in addition to alzheimers and dementia. Anyways, the interview to get in there was brief and it was like "here you got the job." I know this is going to be more intense. I just bought a book "Esssentials in Psychiatric Mental health nursing" and also have an old inclex book to review. I need help in how to answer these questions and knowing what they want to hear and what kinds? Please help, I am jobless right now. I had to quit LTC because the working conditions were so harsh...we were down to ONE aid on my floor when there should have been two and they were wondering why my med pass was taking so long. I am afraid of the danger I'm posing to these patients trying to monitor these frequent fallers I had on top of helping out just so it all got done, I was so burned out and stressed I felt like I was dying so it was a mutual agreement for me to get the hell out of there. I've been so depressed, but got lucky to find that there's a psych hospital hiring close to me and they called me for an interview. PLEASE any help or websites for interview tips is so appreciated.

xox

Crystal

[prison_nurse]

Crystal,

I think what you really need to know is therapeutic communication and appropriate interventions. They may ask "what would you do for/if" types of questions, but I'm just guessing.

I see from your post that your last job was not the best experience. I would not focus too much on that except to maybe mention the under-staffing problem. Be positive about why you want the job in psych, why you would be the best candidate and what you have learned in your previous job which is helpful to you.