interview next week!

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

I am so excited, I finally got a call from a hospital in the area and they want to interview me next week for a TCU (telemetry care unit) position. Apparently it is part of the ICU. I am a new grad RN (with BSN).

It has been hard for me trying to find something because I moved, so of course no one around here knows my work ethic. I had 3 job offers at the hospital I used to work at but since I was moving, I had to turn them all down. I really don't want to mess this opportunity up because I am desperate for a job, and I don't know how many others I am competing against.

What kind of potential interview questions can I expect? I am meeting with the ICU director as opposed to HR for my initial interview. I know to research the mission of the organization and I am sure they will ask me questions about conflict with coworkers, my strengths/weaknesses and that sort of thing but this is my first real nursing interview so I really do not know what to expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

"what is your experience with monitoring systems?" (none yet, but i have been reading about ekgs and would like to take the class as soon as possible; i did an observation in telemetry my last semester and it looked very interesting.)

"why do you want to work here?" (possible answers: i had to turn down three job offers from my old hospital because i moved here, and i heard this was a good hospital to work for; i want to learn more about monitoring and assessing patients in a fast-turnover area, to see a variety of conditions; to learn about care of patients undergoing diagnostic procedures requiring monitoring; to learn more about patient teaching for this population .... why do you want to do this?)

"what is your availability for shifts/weekends/holidays?" (you are perfectly flexible in this regard. right? right??)

"do you have any questions?" what's the biggest strength of the staff on our unit? will i have a preceptor assigned to me? for how long? when can i take course modules on monitoring and ekgs? can i observe in the cath lab / endoscopy suite / wherever else patients will come from to our unit to have a better understanding of what happens there? is there a good reference book i could get? what are the best nursing periodicals to subscribe to to learn about nursing care in this area? is there a question i should ask you that i haven't thought of?

things not to say:down:: i plan to move out of here in a year to go to the icu / back to school / alaska / join the convent. how much vacation do i get? can i get free parking / public transportation pass / matching funds for my ira?

[meggo]

It sounds like you are pretty prepared already. Make sure you dress professionally and bring extra copies of things like your resume, letters of recommendation, things like that. Prepare TCU/ICU related clinical situations you have experienced to answer their behavioral questions. Situations that show you are honest, ethical, a quick thinker, a team worker, and willing to learn... things like that. You can google behavioral RN interview questions and get lots and lots of specific examples to practice with. Good luck!!!!!!

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Thank you, whowland and meggo - had my interview today and got offered a job right on the spot! I will actually be in the PCU, but will be trained to float to TCU and ICU if they are short staffed. I will not start until later this month but I am soooooo excited!!! This is seriously my dream come true!

[ShantheRN, BSN, RN]

Congrats! =)

I remember you and I took boards at around the same time in Ohio. Doesn't that seem like forever ago? lol You're a brave one for moving without a job! So glad it worked out for you. I'm willing to relocate but I'm too chicken to do it without a job first

Let us know how it goes!

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Congrats! =)

I remember you and I took boards at around the same time in Ohio. Doesn't that seem like forever ago? lol You're a brave one for moving without a job! So glad it worked out for you. I'm willing to relocate but I'm too chicken to do it without a job first

Let us know how it goes!

Thank you! It wasn't really by choice lol...my husband is military and is stationed in Texas.

I applied for so many jobs while I was still in Ohio, but no luck...then when I moved here, I applied for some more and finally got a call! Don't give up on your job search - even if it says "1-2+ years of experience preferred" do not let that discourage you. The job that I got hired for actually said that, but I decided to apply for it anyway. I got a call that same day to set up an interview. You will find something!