I have my first interview Friday and need pointers.

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Specializes in ER.

I graduated in May 2018 with my masters with FNP concentration and have my first interview this Friday the 15th. I only recently started searching for work due to several factors. I am wanting advice on what can be asked of me. The position I am applying for is to work for the trauma team, which consists of surgeons. The posting wanted nurses with a strong ER background and 9 out of 10 of my years as a nurse has been in the ER.

Any tips would be helpful and any questions you can provide me that you have been asked will help me prepare as well.

The thing I am not looking for is comments about how I will be an FNP and not a AGACNP working with trauma. I am not asking for nurse bots to give me a lecture about that .

Thank you.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

lol - no lectures here. Some things to highlight:

What level trauma center have you worked at?

Did you hold a leadership position? Like charge nurse, preceptor...

Do you plan to pursue ENP certification?

Will you be going to the OR? If so, do you have an RNFA?

How will you deal with team members? Everyone wants strong team members who doesn't get upset when the **** hits the fan

If your ED cares for pediatric patients what are you special qualifications?

Best wishes - let us know how it goes.

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Specializes in ER.
2 hours ago, traumaRUs said:

lol - no lectures here. Some things to highlight:

What level trauma center have you worked at?

Did you hold a leadership position? Like charge nurse, preceptor...

Do you plan to pursue ENP certification?

Will you be going to the OR? If so, do you have an RNFA?

How will you deal with team members? Everyone wants strong team members who doesn't get upset when the **** hits the fan

If your ED cares for pediatric patients what are you special qualifications?

Best wishes - let us know how it goes.

Those are good points. Did you get any scenario questions or science related questions when you did interviews? Sort of like test questions.

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I am a new grad myself and have had several interviews. They are all different with questions ranging from behavioral type questions to clinical questions.

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Specializes in ER.
1 hour ago, OBigdog26 said:

I am a new grad myself and have had several interviews. They are all different with questions ranging from behavioral type questions to clinical questions.

What kind of things were you asked?

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50 minutes ago, WinterWolf90 said:

What kind of things were you asked?

Some questions I came across were:
1. Tell me about yourself?
2. Why do you want to get into (insert field/specialty)?
3. Tell me about an incident....what would you do if...tell me about a time when you did this....what happened? What did you do?
4. 65 yo pt with T2DM has HgbA1c =11, what would you do?
5. Pt x has syphilis, he is married, he is not sure how to tell his wife. What would you do?

Look at some generic practice questions and practice responding so you don't fumble with your words. It is a pretty nerve-wracking experience especially if it is a panel type interview. Learn from this experience to help you prepare for other interviews.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I had no scenario questions - it was more about how I would mesh with a team, how I would approach pts who were noncompliant. How to deal with conflict.

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Specializes in ER.

Thanks everyone!

1
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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Good luck tomorrow

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Specializes in ER.

Thanks everyone, it went really well. No science questions were asked. I will hear this week from them. I think they are looking for something else but we will see. They asked if I had ever worked in an ICU as a nurse and I felt like that was kind of a hint they were not looking for my type of background even though the job wanted someone with lots of ER experience. We will see though, either way it was a wonderful way to get my feet wet as far as interviews go.

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On 2/18/2019 at 2:00 PM, WinterWolf90 said:

Thanks everyone, it went really well. No science questions were asked. I will hear this week from them. I think they are looking for something else but we will see. They asked if I had ever worked in an ICU as a nurse and I felt like that was kind of a hint they were not looking for my type of background even though the job wanted someone with lots of ER experience. We will see though, either way it was a wonderful way to get my feet wet as far as interviews go.

That's great. I'm still going through the interview process as well. Just be patient.

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