Interview at Duke

U.S.A. North Carolina

Published

Hi all,

I am graduating this May, and I have just received word that I will have an interview at Duke University Hospital next week. I was wondering if anyone had any interview tips for me? This is my very first interview (besides a life guarding job) so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks so much to everyone who replies!

Hi mihaSK,

I see you were invited last year to the New To The OR open house at Duke. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me. I was just invited to the next open house, which is next month. Duke has always been my first choice, I've applied 4 times. I was recently offered a job with my second choice hospital, also OR, and the time frame couldn't be worse. I am struggling with deciding if I take the job, or take the risk of not getting the Duke job. I feel pretty confident about meeting the people from Duke, but I don't know how many people are invited to the open house and how many they will choose. If it were any other place but Duke it would be an easy choice. Can you tell me how many people were at your open house? What did they seem to be looking for at the open house? Also, was there a question portion or just a job shadow? Do you know what they were looking for with the job shadow? I am so passionate about working in the OR and I think this would be the best opportunity for me. I'm just really worried about turning down another job for a chance at this one. Especially when I have been job hunting for over 8 months now. I live in CA, there are no jobs out here. I hear NC is beautiful and I am so ready to move. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Also if you can just share some of feelings about working for Duke, living in Durham, and pros & cons of their NTOR program. One more thing; do you know how long the Duke contract is and also what is the amount of time you have to get to the hospital when working on-call (just trying to see how far away from the hospital is possible to live and still get to work if called)?

Thank you in advance for any help you might be able to provide.

I hope to meet you soon ;o)

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I am in the SNIP program, I had to commit to 2 years.

I love working at Duke. Fairly seamless with interviews, orientation, communication (other than they are short in the HR dept). I don't know about on-call per se, but for bad weather issues, I was told that I could be 2 hours late AND I could bring my kids if needed. I live 40-45 min. away.

They are opening a new building and hiring a bunch of people.

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I am in the SNIP program, I had to commit to 2 years.

I love working at Duke. Fairly seamless with interviews, orientation, communication (other than they are short in the HR dept). I don't know about on-call per se, but for bad weather issues, I was told that I could be 2 hours late AND I could bring my kids if needed. I live 40-45 min. away.

They are opening a new building and hiring a bunch of people.

Hi! How's working at Duke? I applied to their new grad program and will be interviewing in the next few weeks for the on oncology unit. I'm so excited! I'm from SF bay area. I wonder if there are a lot from CA now working in Duke since it's so hard to get a job here.

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Specializes in L&D.

Im curious how it is as well. I received an email to set up an interview as well and just have to chose a date(for medical). Any advice? Im from Louisiana so have to fly out there and hoping I'm not wasting time/money if I won't be hired!

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Same here Katie! I'm from CA and I'm flying out at the end of this month for a peds job interview! I hope it goes well!!

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
Hi! How's working at Duke? I applied to their new grad program and will be interviewing in the next few weeks for the on oncology unit. I'm so excited! I'm from SF bay area. I wonder if there are a lot from CA now working in Duke since it's so hard to get a job here.

I love it at Duke! I have a friend in oncology and that is supposed to be one of the nicest floors. It is very friendly to new people. there is a constant stream of new people whether it is new grads or students or new hires. they are geared to teach nurses how to be great nurses. I really like it.

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I love it at Duke! I have a friend in oncology and that is supposed to be one of the nicest floors. It is very friendly to new people. there is a constant stream of new people whether it is new grads or students or new hires. they are geared to teach nurses how to be great nurses. I really like it.

I have an interview with Duke May 7th for the Medical Unit. Any advice for me? There is a shadowing experience after the formal interview and my recruiter told me to wear scrubs. Seems unprofessional but what did you wear the the interview? If it is scrubs, just any scrubs we have? So nervous and excited about this!

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I had a shadow interview, too. I just wore clean, pressed scrubs. It's kind of a working interview. I was on the floor with one of the nurses for an hour and then interviewed with the manager for about 45 min or so. basically, if you have a shadow interview, they are pretty interested. I really liked the format. My orienting partner did like you are doing: interview, then shadow. They get to see you in action, how you interact with patients, etc. the nurse you shadow is usually a nurse that precepts so he/she will be used to interacting while working.

I wasn't allowed to "do" anything that would be considered in scope, but I did make sure that I used the hand sanitizers every time I went in and out of a room, if the nurse was assisting a pt to bathroom, I'd straighten the bed up. I just jumped in and did what I could to help. helping to pull pt up in bed, getting a fresh water glass or an article of linen.

Good Luck!!!!

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Thanks for the advice, that really helps! If you dont mind, since you were so helpful, I wanna ask a few more questions. If you can recall, how many of you interviewed and how many were hired? It would be nice to know since I am flying all the way out there on my own dime. How long did it take for them to offer a position to you after the interview? As for the scrubs, do they care what color? I see that Duke is Magnet, do they hire associates degree nurses? I would hope so since that is the degree I hold and they are offering me an interview.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I don't know how many they interviewed for my position, but 6 were hired and they are hiring more. Honestly, if you are shadowing, you are on the fast track. I wore black pants, a black and white print top and a black lab coat. A lot of people wear blue. YES they hire ADNs!!! I am actually quite shocked how many they have. I have an ADN, another of the SNIPs has an ADN and one of my night time preceptors has an ADN (been there 7 years and is charge nurse and on pain team). I am actually debating whether to even get my BSN. (I probably will-schoolaholic here).

Try not to be nervous!! (easy to say). I really have not met anyone that is not helpful, nice. I get lost all the time and even the doctors will set me on the right course LOL.

Keep us posted!!!!!!

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I was just reading through some of your comments and in the next few weeks I am attending the New to the OR open house and interview! I am very interested in the OR, however I did not do my senior preceptorship in the OR and only have had a few experiences in the OR from nursing school. I've been working as an NA for the past year at the local hospital, however I haven't had any OR experiences during work either. I was just wondering if any of you who were accepted into the program have had any additional experience when you interviewed or if it was pretty much open to all whether you have experience or not. Thanks for any input!

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I don't know how many they interviewed for my position, but 6 were hired and they are hiring more. Honestly, if you are shadowing, you are on the fast track. I wore black pants, a black and white print top and a black lab coat. A lot of people wear blue. YES they hire ADNs!!! I am actually quite shocked how many they have. I have an ADN, another of the SNIPs has an ADN and one of my night time preceptors has an ADN (been there 7 years and is charge nurse and on pain team). I am actually debating whether to even get my BSN. (I probably will-schoolaholic here).

Try not to be nervous!! (easy to say). I really have not met anyone that is not helpful, nice. I get lost all the time and even the doctors will set me on the right course LOL.

Keep us posted!!!!!!

So I just had my interview last Tuesday and I thought it went great! But the waiting is killing me and tomorrow it will have been one week. Do you remember how long it took them to give you an offer? I loved NC and can really see myself there!

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