ICU interview next week, suggestions for prep??

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Hi everyone! :D

I have an interview next week for an open position in the ICU for the hospital in which I currently work on the Ortho/Neuro floor. I am excited for this opportunity and wish to be well prepared. What kinds of questions did you encounter in your interview for ICU? Any suggestions on what I can do to prepare for the interview?

Thanks! :yeah:

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I got the job, thanks!

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Hi, congrats!!!. I would like to know what kind of questions did you had since I have an interview in two weeks in SICU and I want to be prepared. I will be interviewing with leadership from the unit like 5 people and then with peers. Thanks!

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My interview was very thorough! I was asked so many questions I'm not sure I can remember them all but I was asked about my RN experience, what my current nurse manager would say about me, why I wanted to work in the ICU, what my motivations were to leave my current job, how I deal with stress, why should she hire me over another candidate, etc... pretty much your typical interview type questions. I was also given scenarios and asked what would you do FIRST? Ex. You haven't received report yet on your assignment and the nurse is rounding on another patient when you hear the alarm go off on a vented patient, enter the room and patient is blue...what do you do first? ABC's.... ambu the pt. Another question was you enter the room and pt's BP is 60/40 and he is sitting at edge of bed c/o dizziness, what would you do first? Have the patient lay down.

Wish I could remember more! Good Luck!

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Thank you for your reply, I can see that it was very difficult, but I am a new graduate nurse and this is for a residency, so I hope they don't start asking me very difficult questions since I don't have any experience. :D

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Thank you for your reply, I can see that it was very difficult, but I am a new graduate nurse and this is for a residency, so I hope they don't start asking me very difficult questions since I don't have any experience. :D

That's how they weed ya out! Critical thinking is an essential skill in the ICU. If you can't think on your feet in a bad situation, you're not cut out for ICU.

My interview was ridiculously stressful as I knew they were interviewing 70 people for 4 positions. Eek. Went in and they gave me the usual tell us about yourself bologna. Then I got a scenario with a COPD exacerbation patient. Started off general, and I was supposed to suggest what to do next. After my suggestion, my manager then said okay if that didn't work what next until it basically backed me into a corner with my decisions and then he didn't say if I made the right calls. Obviously I did something right because I got the job. :lol2:

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Specializes in CVICU/ER.

Dano, They did the same to me. Kept asking, "Then what would you do if that didn't work....Then what?" Luckily we have 2 great managers that trusted us enough to hire us as new grads. I didn't have the floor time like you did when you came to the floor so I was behind the 8 ball a a little.

I agree with Dan....critical thinking skills are the most important thing for a nurse and especially a critical care nurse. It's knowing when to call the doctor and not. It's knowing what small nuance might have changed in your patient, and what it might mean and what could happen.

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Thanks for the great advice and prep

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