Homework help - Interview

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Hey everyone,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, so please steer me in the right direction if it is not! We're supposed to do a quick interview with an RN for an assignment for class, but we were given limited time to do it and I'm out of town, away from all RNs I know! Could any of you help and give some quick answers to a few questions?

They want us to ask about how you were socialized into nursing - any experiences you had at the beginning with other students, coworkers, first experiences, etc.

Also how did you feel about your transition from novice to a more advanced level of nursing? How was the process for you and what helped you along the way?

What was your first experience with an emergency situation? How did you handle it?

What area do you currently work in and what areas have you worked in in the past?

Thanks so much!!

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Sorry, we don't do these. Whether you're "out of town" or not (maybe you already read us here saying you have to go out there for reasons described below), there are still nurses where you are.

We get these requests a lot, so if there are any other students out there who might get this kind of assignment, listen up:Part of your faculty's reason for giving you this assignment is to get you to go out there and speak to an RN face to face. A big email blast is not a substitute for shoe leather. AN is not Google.

See, in nursing, you have to learn to speak to a lot of people you would not otherwise encounter; you might find yourself out of your comfort zone. This is part of nursing, a huge part. An anonymous respondent online, well, you don't really know who we are, do you? We could be the truck driving guy living next door for all you know.

So if all you do about learning new things is "Go to the keyboard and hit send," then you are limiting your chances of actual learning a valuable skill you will need all your working life. Also, your faculty will not be impressed by your citation of an anonymous nurse on the internet.

That said: Where will you find a nurse? Think outside the (computer) box.

Local hospital: go to the staff development/inservice education office and ask one of them. They value education and will be happy to chat or to hook you up with someone who is.

Go to the public health department downtown. Ditto.

Go to the local school and ask to speak to a school nurse. Ditto.

Go to a local clinic / physician/NP office. Ditto.

Go to the local jail and ask to speak to the nurse there. Ditto.

Notice all of these say, "Go to..." and not "Email..." Remember that part about meeting new people face to face and comfort zone.

Go!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

That is not true...there are nurses here that will do these however...there are those of us that strongly feel that the interview process is an acquired nursing skill as much as any other skill and needs to be done face to face....many times your nursing instructors are looking for you to go outside the box and learn how to have face to face conversation with complete strangers for you will be doing that every time you walk into a patients room or admit a patient.....you need to establish trust and have someone tell a complete stranger intimate details of their lives that they share with NO ONE...this is an acquired skill....one that develops only by face to face interviews.

Call your local schools. Go to a minute Clinic like the ones at CVS. Go to an urgent care or you PCP's office. Call your town office they will usually have a health nurse there. Try Red Cross blood drives or community B/P health screening events.

I wish you the best on your nursing journey.

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My bad, I ought to have said, "Many of us don't do these..." for the reasons Esme and I give. Writing too fast. The advice still stands, though.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Yup it does.....;)

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I agree with all of that and I'm completely aware, but I also had ~2 days to do the assignment. I put this up as a backup in case I didn't find anyone, but I did. The assignment was turned in 3 days ago, but I can't seem to find a way to delete this post. Thanks to those who responded.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

We don't delete posts after questions have been answered.....this allows others to benefit from your question.

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