ICU Interview Help

[lindyjoe]

I am a recent grad, and will be interviewing for the ICU in two different hospitals. I chose the ICU because I want to become a nurse anesthetist. I need two years in the ICU to even apply to the program. A very small percent of new grads get a chance to start in the ICU, so I really have to sell myself. Other than needing this unit to further my education, I also like the idea of having two or three patients. I did not like med surg because I was unable to spend time with any of my patients. I like being able to give most of the care, if not all care to my patients. I am very independant and like to critically think. Don't get me wrong, I'll ask for help when I need it, but I prefer to see everything that is being done with patients.

My question is what should I say, or not say in these interviews. Should I bring up the fact that I will not feel comfortable on a floor with a high patient turnover rate? Will my qualities help me or land me on a unit I don't want to be?

Thanks for any help in advance!

Kelly

[JT RN]

some things I focused on for my interview

1) teamwork - a lot of collaboration with other staff (PT, dietary, RT, pharm) and physicians, codes, emergency intubation, stat CT scans, etc. you MUST know how to work with other people.

2) taking in the big picture - ICU patients rarely have just ONE problem. it's almost always multiple systems interacting (and crashing) together. This is where critical thinking comes into play.

3) like you mentioned, having 2 patients allows you to focus your care, get to know your patients, and personalize their emotional/spiritual care. Here you can tie in your reasons for going into ICU with the generalized reasons for going into nursing.

4) this is up for debate, but... remember that the hospital is investing in you. If you have plans to go into anesthesia that's great, they want to know you have future plans, but don't make it seem like you're only there to get your 2 years of experience and get out.

5) another item up for debate, personally I don't think finances should be discussed at the first interview. Once they called me back and offered me a position I would then ask about signing bonuses, night diffs, etc.

6) as far as issues you're not comfortable with, my advice is to 1) be honest IF they ask about it and 2) try to put a positive spin on it. So for example, you like to get to know your patients and personalize their care, but a lot of ICU patients are ventilated and/or sedated, can't really respond to you, which makes it difficult. But even though they can't respond, and probably more so because of it, they require even more emotional/spiritual care simply because they are human beings with inherent needs who are completely relying upon your skills and compassion to care for them.

One big piece of advice that not everyone follows. Come prepared with questions! It lets them know you're interested in their facility, and gives them an opportunity to brag about their hospital and they love that. You're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. Nurses are in demand, so let it happen. I think I spent the majority of my interview asking questions and letting my interviewers "sell" their hospital to me.

It can be hard to choose between two hospitals, so some things to look for in case you get offered positions at both.

1) ask your interviewers how long they've been at the hospital, how they like their jobs, why they're still working there, and how they get along with their own manager. Before you even finish asking the question, you'll get an idea of how they feel about the facility.

2) for me it was all about the new-grad orientation program, so I focused a lot of questions on this area. Were they going to train and teach me, or just let me sink or swim.

3) give as much opportunity for them to brag about their facility. I guess you have to be able to read people, but I absolutely love the hospital I'm working at now, and a lot had to do with the interviewers convincing me to work there.

Well, good luck with the interview.

[carebear64]

I am part of my ICU's interview committee, and I can tell you that it can be quite intimidating for a potential candidate, so try to be prepared.

1) Be on time, dress appropriately, and have your resume updated and ready to present to the interviewer.

2) Understand the needs of the unit you are interviewing for so you can decide if it will meet YOUR needs as well. IE: schedule offered, 12 hour vs. 8 hour shifts, midnights, etc......

3) Realize the time and financial investment involved in hiring a new nurse, so don't come across as someone who is using this position as a stepping stone to the next stage of your career. Of course it is expected that you will eventually move on and possibly leave the unit, but that shouldn't be something you are already considering prior to being hired.

4) The greatest challenge in hiring new grads into an ICU is their lack of critical thinking skills. This is not a criticism or meant to be negative. It's just a fact that critical thinking skills are developed over time with experience. Some are more prepared than others, but it is so very important to understand that this is what defines a critical care nurse. You should be able to articulate this to the interview committee. I would rather hire a nurse who is understands this, even though he/she hasn't mastered it yet. Strong skills are necessary, but understanding of the difference between critical care nursing and any other type of nursing is what will get you the job!

Good luck!

[jmunrs2010]

both of these replies were very helpful... thanks so much. I hope to be interviewing with the ICU after I graduate in the spring for a position. I know I will be so nervous but I defintely will take these tips and use them to my advantage

[detroitdano]

Come up with a better reason for wanting to work there than "I need it for CRNA school" or your application is going to be in the shredder 5 minutes after you leave the interview.

You'll probably get asked "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" This is the appropriate time to say CRNA stuff. If you're interviewing for a specific ICU (medical, surgical, neuro, burn, yada yada), you need a good reason why you picked that one area over another. You have to sell yourself as wanting to be there, not just needing to be there.