I got an interview! Why do you love peds?

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Good news everyone! I got the call for an interview at the local women and children's hospital; my dream facility!

I spoke with HR today to organize an interview time and she asked if I preferred OB or peds and I told her peds. She then asked if I wanted ICU or medsurg and I said that I am open to anything (because I am, I'm just happy to have gotten an interview at all!) Thinking back, I probably should have specified my interest (I ultimately want to end up in the NICU but I am not at all opposed to medsurg) so I didn't seem so wishy-washy but I can talk to her about that in the interview.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I don't know how to effectively put into words my desire to work with children.

As cliche as it is, I do love children. I remember asking my mom at 10 or 11 years old, if she had any friends with kids that would need a babysitter. She would just look at me and say, "you still need a babysitter yourself. You cannot babysit yet." I was pretty disappointed, haha.

I love the diversity of ages in the pediatric population and how vastly different they are. A 4 or 5 year age difference in adult patients may be inconsequential barring any cognitive delays or altered mental state, but a 4 or 5 year age difference in children really dictates how you interact with them and their level of understanding. In one room, you can have a 15 year old who is on their cell phone snapchatting and texting their friends, in the next room down you might find a 7 year old completely absorbed in spongebob. I love the variety in peds.

I love how resilient children are. For the most part, even the sickest child wants to get up and play. That kind of resilience is something that I admire.

Anyway, that's what I've come up with so far. I hope it doesn't sound too played out because that is how I truly feel.

Peds nurses: why do you love peds? what kind of interview questions can I expect?

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Specializes in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery.

Congrats on your interview! I love Peds because I get to be silly at work, and because touching the lives of children and their families in times of crisis is so incredibly rewarding.

As far as what to expect in your interview, it will probably be much like any other nursing interview. Name a time you went above and beyond for a patient; explain a time when you had a conflict with a colleague and how you handled it; where do you see yourself in 5 years; etc.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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I start orientation for employment on a peds unit next week. All of Surprised1's questions were asked in my interview. I was also asked why I wanted to work with kids and about typical patient:student ratio during my clinicals in school. During an interview for a postpartum position that I didn't end up getting, the manager asked me if I could be a tree, what tree I would be. Anything's up for grabs as far as questions go! The biggest advice I can give is to be yourself and let your light shine. If your interviewer can see you and the personality you'd bring to the unit, that's what'll get a call back. Good luck!

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Specializes in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery.
I start orientation for employment on a peds unit next week. All of Surprised1's questions were asked in my interview. I was also asked why I wanted to work with kids and about typical patient:student ratio during my clinicals in school. During an interview for a postpartum position that I didn't end up getting, the manager asked me if I could be a tree, what tree I would be. Anything's up for grabs as far as questions go! The biggest advice I can give is to be yourself and let your light shine. If your interviewer can see you and the personality you'd bring to the unit, that's what'll get a call back. Good luck!

Well, don't leave us hanging! What kind of tree did you say??

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I start orientation for employment on a peds unit next week. All of Surprised1's questions were asked in my interview. I was also asked why I wanted to work with kids and about typical patient:student ratio during my clinicals in school. During an interview for a postpartum position that I didn't end up getting, the manager asked me if I could be a tree, what tree I would be. Anything's up for grabs as far as questions go! The biggest advice I can give is to be yourself and let your light shine. If your interviewer can see you and the personality you'd bring to the unit, that's what'll get a call back. Good luck!

thanks for all your advice! So what tree did you say? I would pick an evergreen. I get to keep my needles year round :)

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Congrats on your interview! I love Peds because I get to be silly at work, and because touching the lives of children and their families in times of crisis is so incredibly rewarding.

As far as what to expect in your interview, it will probably be much like any other nursing interview. Name a time you went above and beyond for a patient; explain a time when you had a conflict with a colleague and how you handled it; where do you see yourself in 5 years; etc.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

Thanks! this is my first nursing interview and I REALLY want to work at this facility so I don't want to mess it up, haha. Thankfully I have time to prepare =]

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The question totally caught me off guard. I ended up saying that I didn't know much about trees, but I have seen some articles online about an idea to use our bodies to help grow a tree after we die. Rather than being put into a coffin, your body is encased in some kind of pod which gives nutrients to and helps grow a tree. I told them I'd rather do this, so that even in death I could continue to contribute to this world by giving off some oxygen. It's still in just "idea" stages, but I've legitimately talked to my father about wanting this done to my body if something were to happen to me.

Here's a link for a little more info:

Forget Coffins – Organic Burial Pods Will Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees | Collective-Evolution

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The single best thing about peds is this: Children take no pleasure or satisfaction in the 'role' of sick person. Unlike adults who may enjoy the attention or the enforced rest of illness or the guilt their families feel at times, kids' only desire is to get out of Dodge ASAP.

Plus, they're hilarious. Case in point, my 4 yo T&A yanked his IV out, so I took him some cold juice to try. I said" How are you feeling buddy?" His reply? "Well, duh, I'm asleep!" (He was, in fact, wide awake watching a movie). I then say "Hey, I brought you some juice to try" "Oh fine, just give it to me....."

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The question totally caught me off guard. I ended up saying that I didn't know much about trees, but I have seen some articles online about an idea to use our bodies to help grow a tree after we die. Rather than being put into a coffin, your body is encased in some kind of pod which gives nutrients to and helps grow a tree. I told them I'd rather do this, so that even in death I could continue to contribute to this world by giving off some oxygen. It's still in just "idea" stages, but I've legitimately talked to my father about wanting this done to my body if something were to happen to me.

Here's a link for a little more info:

Forget Coffins – Organic Burial Pods Will Turn Your Loved Ones Into Trees | Collective-Evolution

ive heard of those! Not only does it help the environment it saves space for lack of a better term. Sooner or later we're going to run out of space to bury all the dead people...

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The single best thing about peds is this: Children take no pleasure or satisfaction in the 'role' of sick person. Unlike adults who may enjoy the attention or the enforced rest of illness or the guilt their families feel at times, kids' only desire is to get out of Dodge ASAP.

Plus, they're hilarious. Case in point, my 4 yo T&A yanked his IV out, so I took him some cold juice to try. I said" How are you feeling buddy?" His reply? "Well, duh, I'm asleep!" (He was, in fact, wide awake watching a movie). I then say "Hey, I brought you some juice to try" "Oh fine, just give it to me....."

anther thing I love about kids is their lack of tact. They just tell it how it is wether it's polite or not :D

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