Hour long interview for ER

Published

Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Hey guys,

i just had an interview yesterday for an ER position. I have never worked ER, have been a nurse in women's and children's background. The interview went for an hour and I'm not sure how it went.

Those ER nurses are an intimidating breed and asked very hard questions. I felt like an idiot and like I mumbled through a lot of it. We asked questions back and forth but at times I felt it was brutally awkward. I felt like a baby nurse all over again and didn't get a lot out that I wanted to say. I kind of froze up.

I think they had another interviewer that was behind me because she had been waiting outside for awhile.

At the end the educator said, "we just grilled you for an hour and you did great" and as I was walking out I ask the manager when I'd be expecting to hear from her and she said "by next week but you did a good job." I told her that was a hard interview and she said something along the lines of when you've been in this role for awhile you become hard and don't mean to come off that way.

Just wanna hear your opinions on this and other new ER interview experiences.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Based off the manager and educator's comments, it sounds like you got the job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Transitioning to the ED isn't easy, but it sounds like you will have the opportunity! Just be aware that you are going to feel like a green new grad all over again for a while until you get more comfortable. It can take a bit of time! How much orientation time will they give you, did they mention that?

Best of luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Pixie,

They said 12 weeks, give or take a couple

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult and pediatric emergency and critical care.

That may be the personality of their ED, some units feel a need to intimidate new hires. If the manager and educator told you that you did a good job I would be reassured.

We don't like adversarial interviews. We talk for maybe a hour with the applicant and talk about why they are interested in our ED, what they know about us, what their long term goals are, some of the standard ED type questions, and let them ask us whatever they want. We then typically offer them a couple of hours to shadow one of the nurses in the ED so that they can experience how we do things (they are informed of this before they come in), and then they have a short 15-30 minute talk with our director. We want to make sure that not only are applicants a good hire decision for us but that we are going to be a good environment for them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

ICU and ER nurses are a special breed and often come off as hard asses. It sounds like you did a great job. Here's hoping you got the job. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Update:

They called yesterday, I got the job!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats!! :nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion