Interview questions I've bombed (advice please?)

Loo17 · Nov 2, 2014

I would not say I bought a patient a sandwich that complained about hospital food. Maybe something about how you strive to provide great customer service all the time and don't see doing so as going above and beyond.

Magnet hospitals find education important as well as being involved. Depending on what specialty/position you are applying for I would gear your long term goals on that. You hope to become a competent telemetry nurse/med surg nurse/pedi nurse, be a mentor for new nurses and precept new grads, obtain specialty certification in the area etc. I think its great if you hope to become an NP someday but I am not sure being that honest will land you the job, as an NP you would leave the position you are hoping to be hired for.

Loo17 · Nov 2, 2014

I don't think your answer is bad for what your greatest learning curve would be. Maybe just neaten it up and expand a little. I think one of the best qualities a new nurse can have is to be confident in what they do not know. A nurse that speaks up and says "I am not familiar with that could we go over it" makes a competent nurse.

SoaringOwl · Nov 2, 2014

I would not say I bought a patient a sandwich that complained about hospital food.

Yup, I said I bombed that one. I froze and had nothing. Your advice is a good one, but I've always heard you have to give managers ERO (Event, response to event, outcome), so I try to have a story to answer every interview question. A response like, I always strive for patient satisfaction in every situation, would probably yield a 2 or a 3, and I'm striving for 5.

SoaringOwl · Nov 2, 2014

I don't think your answer is bad for what your greatest learning curve would be. Maybe just neaten it up and expand a little. I think one of the best qualities a new nurse can have is to be confident in what they do not know. A nurse that speaks up and says "I am not familiar with that could we go over it" makes a competent nurse.

I feel like they're expecting me to know what I don't know. I realize they're using this question to see if I'm the type who will anticipate problems and and reflect on my nursing care, or the type to throw up my hands and give up. Does this sound better: "As a new grad, it's hard to know what I don't know. I'm sure everyday will bring new challenges, but I'm committed to learning, plan to pursue ___ certification in this specialty, and will ask my preceptor questions as they arise."

Loo17 · Nov 2, 2014

I feel like they're expecting me to know what I don't know. I realize they're using this question to see if I'm the type who will anticipate problems and and reflect on my nursing care, or the type to throw up my hands and give up. Does this sound better: "As a new grad, it's hard to know what I don't know. I'm sure everyday will bring new challenges, but I'm committed to learning, plan to pursue ___ certification in this specialty, and will ask my preceptor questions as they arise."

That sounds better

Loo17 · Nov 2, 2014

Yup, I said I bombed that one. I froze and had nothing. Your advice is a good one, but I've always heard you have to give managers ERO (Event, response to event, outcome), so I try to have a story to answer every interview question. A response like, I always strive for patient satisfaction in every situation, would probably yield a 2 or a 3, and I'm striving for 5.

I have never heard of that scoring system. I currently work for a magnet hospital and was asked questions similar to yours, I do not know if they graded my answers like that though, sorry I cant help there. I think it is important to sound genuine and eager to fill the position and to also know what the hospital's mission statement for nursing is.

Taking that patient who hated hospital food, lets say they had a large surgical wound. Nutritional intake would be important to promote wound healing. If the patient was refusing meals because they didnt like the food it would be important to find out what they do like and if there was anything that could be done to improve their intake, maybe a dietary consult or meal replacement supplements. Taking the time to listen to a patients concerns and to try and solve a problem for them, shows that you care about the patients concerns and also provides a great teaching moment on the importance of nutrition on wound healing. You could say it turns out the patients main complaint about the hospital food was xyz and they would rather eat sandwiches so you arranged for a sandwich to be delivered with a side salad. Leave out that you paid for it lol. The patient was happy with the outcome and the meal was still nutritious.

I just kind of pulled that out of my rear based on what you mentioned.

SoaringOwl · Nov 2, 2014

I thought of another one I bombed. "Tell me about your least-favorite nursing class." They're all REALLY important. I can't say I dislike psych, all patients are going to be anxious or depressed, I can't say I dislike evidence-based practice or leadership, because that makes me look unmotivated. Maybe I should have answered I disliked Med-Surg 2 because it was focused on critical care, and I prefer acute care?

SoaringOwl · Nov 2, 2014

Taking that patient who hated hospital food, lets say they had a large surgical wound. Nutritional intake would be important to promote wound healing. If the patient was refusing meals because they didnt like the food it would be important to find out what they do like and if there was anything that could be done to improve their intake, maybe a dietary consult or meal replacement supplements. Taking the time to listen to a patients concerns and to try and solve a problem for them, shows that you care about the patients concerns and also provides a great teaching moment on the importance of nutrition on wound healing. You could say it turns out the patients main complaint about the hospital food was xyz and they would rather eat sandwiches so you arranged for a sandwich to be delivered with a side salad. Leave out that you paid for it lol. The patient was happy with the outcome and the meal was still nutritious.
I just kind of pulled that out of my rear based on what you mentioned.

That's what I should have said. Of course, that would have never happened in my hospital, but they don't need to know that. Thanks so much.

Loo17 · Nov 2, 2014

I thought of another one I bombed. "Tell me about your least-favorite nursing class." They're all REALLY important. I can't say I dislike psych, all patients are going to be anxious or depressed, I can't say I dislike evidence-based practice or leadership, because that makes me look unmotivated. Maybe I should have answered I disliked Med-Surg 2 because it was focused on critical care, and I prefer acute care?

Maybe you could say something along those lines. Say you really didn't dislike any of your classes but if you had to chose one it would be pediatric nursing or psych nursing (whatever it may be)because it is an area that you are least familiar with. You could say initially you were dreading it for that reason but the great instructor or topic ended up being better than you expected.

There must be a class that you really did feel this way about, use that. Give an example of why you didn't think you would like it ( haven't spent a lot of time with babies or been exposed to anyone with dementia or someone dying) and why you ended up changing your mind.

starlane · Nov 2, 2014

First of all I want to say good luck to you, I know it can be hard to find a job as a new grad and also a very nerve racking time!!

1. "Tell me about a time a patient complimented you." I don't have a good story for this one. I know they're going for the all-important customer satisfaction here, but I just don't have anything beyond a patient telling my preceptor I've done well all shift.

-Did a patient ever give you flowers, a card, did a patient ever tell you you were a great nurse, did you ever sit down and talk to a patient-was the patient thankful--try to think of specific experiences

"Tell me what you think your greatest learning curve will be." I think this is the hateful 'greatest weakness' question reinvented. I went the route that I'm a new grad, no experience, but my old job gave me time management and (insert other stuff here) skills, but I need a better answer for this.

-I had this question also recently and I used the same example, personally i think its a great answer because its a weakness you can't change, everyone was new at one point. Just be honest, say that because you are a new grad you still have a lot to learn BUT you are a fast learner and extremely passionate about nursing and ...etc

"What are your long-term goals?" I mentioned becoming an NP, and that's it. After, I thought I should have mentioned getting a med-surge certification and becoming a charge nurse. What else can I say to show I want to grow?

Maybe mention something about mentorship, you would like to preceptor students--thats a good one because it shows you work well in a leadership type of position and want to pass on knowledge :-)

SoaringOwl · Nov 3, 2014

First of all I want to say good luck to you, I know it can be hard to find a job as a new grad and also a very nerve racking time!!

Thanks!

-Did a patient ever give you flowers, a card, did a patient ever tell you you were a great nurse, did you ever sit down and talk to a patient-was the patient thankful--try to think of specific experiences

Flowers or cards? My hospital was in a very low-income area, so no. If I received that I'd have a good story to tell. lol. But your comment about sitting down and talking to a patient reminds me of some patient teaching I did with a very frightened patient who thanked me. That's what I'll say if that strange question ever comes up again.

"Tell me what you think your greatest learning curve will be." ...-I had this question also recently and I used the same example, personally i think its a great answer because its a weakness you can't change, everyone was new at one point. Just be honest, say that because you are a new grad you still have a lot to learn BUT you are a fast learner and extremely passionate about nursing and ...etc

Sounds good.

"What are your long-term goals?" ... Maybe mention something about mentorship, you would like to preceptor students--thats a good one because it shows you work well in a leadership type of position and want to pass on knowledge :-)

True, I did not think about precepting students. I think I'm gonna drop the NP line and go with this: precepting and certification in specialty.