Interview tomorrow~~Need HELP!

I don't know what three words would describe you, or your strengths, or your weaknesses, or why anyone should hire you. Only you know that.

If your mind goes blank at interviews, write down your answers and memorize them, just like drug cards (do they do drug cards any more?). But please don't say that they should hire you because they have to pay you less money. Show them your enthusiasm and what you can bring to the job.

I just think you should focus on things like time management, organization, people skills, desire to learn, ect. The kind of things that you use everyday. The kind that got me through nursing school. Just be honest about your strenghts and weaknesses. For instance, I told my inteviewers that I was loacking confidence beacause I was so new at this, but I thought that I could overcome that with a little more experience. I told them that when it came to nursing, I was not very coordinated. I had not gotten my extra set of nursing hands yet. Stuff like that. I think if you just think of the interview as a conversation rather than question and answer, it may help. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some questions that I have been asked before:

-How do you deal with difficult families (patients, people...)

-tell me about a situation in the past that in hindsite you would now do differently

-why did you become a nurse

-what would make you a good _(school, med/surg,ER) nurse?

I do think it's best to be honest about your your abilities and experience and to ask your own questions about things you may be concerned about.

I had an interview last week and here is one that caught me off guard:

Tell me about a time you witnessed someone do something unethical or dishonest, what did you do?

Have one tomorrow as well.

I think you should ask yourself why you are the best candidate for the position and focus on those thoughts. As well, I think summarizing at the end why you are the best candidate is not a bad idea.

Some employers ask more personnal questions than others. If you can bring up the idea that your personality would fit into the grid that would be an advantage.

In an interview I had one month ago, I was asked about

-creative problem solving

-confrontation and how handled

-why are you the best candidate for this job

I am also about to graduate and have had one interview. Did not get the job. I was up sick all night the night before, thought it was nerves but had a fever by the time the interview was done. I am improving my resume, replacing my weakest reference with a glowing one, and have learned from the first interview how to stay poised with those ridiculous mind game questions. I was asked my weakness and said "As a new graduate, I would have to say lack of experience. That is why I feel it is so important to work for an organization with a great orientation, such as this hospital" She did not seem to like that answer. Oh, well. Their loss. Good Luck!

I've recently been interviewing with several hospitals and I have a friend in HR who helped me with how to answer questions like that. I can tell you how I answered or would answer and you can add in your own things, if that would help.

What are 3 words to describe you?

I think the 3 words that would describe me best would be efficient, thorough, and hard working. (I then explain how those words describe me)

What is your biggest strength? Or 3 biggest strengths?

I think time management is my biggest strength, but I always make sure not to lose anything to my efficiency. I am efficient with my time, but never to the detriment of the patient.

I think my 3 biggest strengths are efficiency, my thoroughness and attention to detail, and my compassion (then I'd go on to explain or give examples)

What is you biggest weakness? Or 3?

I think my biggest weakness is my nervousness in new situations, but I find that if I really focus and gather all of the information, I'm much less nervous. I really just use that feeling of nervousness to push myself through to become the best I can in the situation. (no matter how you answer this always try to focus your weakness into a positive or show how you overcome that weakness)

Why should we hire you for this position?

(this kind of depends on the position) I really feel that I have qualities that would be beneficial to this unit, job, etc...

Some additional questions that I have been asked include:

If you found one of your peers taking things for personal use (ie patient food from the kitchen) how would you handle that?

Name a situation where you had a difficult patient and tell me how you handled it.

Say you walk into your patients room in the morning and the patients daughter is irate because her father is disheveled and the room in a mess, what would you do in that situation?

HTH. Good luck!!