Intermediate ICU Interview help ~ New grad!

Chibi-chan, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2013

Wow! Congratulations on getting an interview for an ICU position! That's awesome! I'm getting ready to graduate in May, but I think I have a few tips that would help you during your interview... We had a man from Kaplan come talk to our class last month, and he had a few good suggestions for interviews.

1) Dress right! Professional. Skirts should be at least knee-length and conservative. Wear flats or kitten heels, nothing too elaborate.

2) When you enter your interview, shake the interviewer's hand, and say, "Hello. My name is So-and-so, and I am excited to work for Such-and-such Hospital." It may seem very forward, but it works!

3) Stay calm. I would suggest renting a hotel room the night before your interview and then driving to the interview location. That way, you will know your route and you won't have to worry about being rushed. Sleep good the night before, and give yourself enough time in the morning to get ready without being rushed. Take things easy, and eat something light for breakfast. Avoid caffeine. Practice your interview with a professor or a friend, or even a mirror, so you get more at ease. If they do ask a question you're not sure how to answer, take a deep breath and pause for a few seconds to think about how you're going to answer the question.

4) Ask what committees or boards you can participate in as an RN while working for the hospital.

5) Did you participate in any Student Nursing Organizations while you were in school? What volunteer activities did you do? Mention them!

6) When your interview is over, say: "Thank you for your time. I'm excited to work for Such-and-such Hospital."

7) If they ask a no-no question, like, "Are you married?" or "Do you have children?" a good response would be: "I'm not sure how my marital status/family will affect my ability to work as a nurse for Such-and-such Hospital."

I hope that this has helped you!

jennafezz · Feb 24, 2013

I think I know who you are.... :) so I just wanted to say GOOD LUCK and I hope you get the job!

chatty-cathy · Feb 24, 2013

Thank you so much Chibi-chan (love that name :)) for your thoughts and input! I like the idea of renting a room before hand so I don't have to worry about traffic or being late or any other disasters. All 7 of your tips are extremely helpful so I appreciate you taking the time to post them on here. I know other readers can also find them useful!

Thank you jennafezz for the good vibes!! I hope this works out because it would be amazing to work at this hospital! I pm'd ya! :yeah:

SE_BSN_RN, BSN · Feb 24, 2013

I don't have any interview tips except take a deep breath and exude confidence! Make it known you are excited to be there and that you would be a great asset to their team. Good luck! (I graduate in June. I know your excitement!!)

Nurse_ · Feb 24, 2013

They know you're a new grad so don't over think anything.

If in doubt, revert to ADPIE. They'll probably ask scenario questions just to make sure you have a good foundation on nursing.

Also, they'll be heavy on your personality. Hospitals are looking for people who can take the jabs and run with it (so to speak). They'll look if you're a good match for their current team. Show your personality.

This is the ICU you're interviewing for. Relax and smile. Don't get easily discourage because you have to think on your feet when your in the critical care unit. They're looking if you can handle the pressure and if pressured, what will you do? So think about that. Think what you'll do if the patient is rapidly going down.

Good luck

chatty-cathy · Feb 24, 2013

They know you're a new grad so don't over think anything.
If in doubt, revert to ADPIE. They'll probably ask scenario questions just to make sure you have a good foundation on nursing.
Also, they'll be heavy on your personality. Hospitals are looking for people who can take the jabs and run with it (so to speak). They'll look if you're a good match for their current team. Show your personality.
This is the ICU you're interviewing for. Relax and smile. Don't get easily discourage because you have to think on your feet when your in the critical care unit. They're looking if you can handle the pressure and if pressured, what will you do? So think about that. Think what you'll do if the patient is rapidly going down.
Good luck

THANK YOU so much for your insight and advice and I really appreciate this information! I'm very excited about this opportunity and I do work well under pressure so I think I will be a great fit for this unit. It helps me a lot by knowing what they are looking for in a candidate because that way I can come up with real life examples of how I have handled the situations they are looking for. And when in doubt ADPIE seems to be a great starting point in working through the critical thinking process. :)

Are there specific patient types, cases or meds that I should be prepared for with an IICU?

TX911 · Feb 25, 2013

Are there specific patient types, cases or meds that I should be prepared for with an IICU?

I'm not sure about your facility, but I know IICU or IMC is usually where we send our post-op CABG/valve/elephant trunk pts when they're hemodynamically stable, no vasoactive drips, pacer box off, etc but still have chest/MS tubes in. That's one type of pt I can think of but I work CVICU so I'm sorry I don't have more examples.

Your biggest thing is going to be affability, a smile, friendly tone, and the statement that you want to learn. People can be taught but you have to be able to stand being around them long enough to teach them, lol. Good luck