interview next week!

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

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!

"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?" :idea: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?

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!!!!!!

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

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! :yeah:

Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

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 :uhoh3:

Let us know how it goes!

Specializes in ER, progressive care.
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 :uhoh3:

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!

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