Interview tips for NCU

[RNCaroline]

Hi! My name is Caroline, and my goal has always been to become a NICU nurse. I am hoping to get an interview in the nicu at the hospital I currently work for. One of the first questions many managers like to ask is the usual "tell me about yourself". There has been a lot of debate on whether this should be answered with more personal detail (such as why I became a nurse and why I chose NICU) or more work history and accomplishments. I have been a nurse for about a year now, but I have no experience with pediatrics or NICU. (Med/surge and currently I am in the OR). I would love some input, especially from anyone that has been in a hiring position! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

I replied in your other thread. Here's my take as I was a manager:

You need to stay in one position for at least a year and check your hospitals transfer policy. Many places won't let you transfer for one year after orientation.

Get involved in in peds cases. If there is a level 3 NICU there, are surgeries done there in the OR, on the floor or sent out. Our hospital has a mix of all those.

When I asked about tell me

about you, that's what I want. And tell me how you think you will be a good fit in our unit (critical thinking, job skills that can help in NICU such as IV skills, etc).

Also be prepared to tell me why you are leaving the OR so

soon after leaving another job. And why I should spend 10 weeks orienting you and what your long term goal is, where do you see yourself in 5 years.

[wasabirush]

Make sure *you* have prepared questions to ask during the interview. Questions you ask will also tell the interviewer a lot about you too. Particularly their orientation program & education, continued support & education, how they progress staff in the NICU... just for example. Your Med/Surg & OR experience will only add to your NICU time & give you somewhat of a base to build on, especially with things like aseptic technique, attention to detail, if the NICU is also a surgical NICU, then you can apply concepts of OR experience to NICU, but obviously it'll be on a much smaller scale with different surgical aspects.