job interview

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Nov 7, 2006

I'm still a student, so I haven't yet gone to a job interview for a nursing position, but these are a couple of the questions I was told to be prepared for:

- Why do you want to work on this unit? What experience do you have relevant to that unit?

- What was your most difficult patient? Why?

- What was the most complex patient you have dealt with? Why?

- Customer service stuff: How would you deal with irate doctor/family/whoever.

- Critical thinking case study questions specific to the floor/unit you will be working on.

- Assessment questions specific to the the floor/unit you will be working on.

Good Luck with your Interview!!!

Bala Shark · Nov 7, 2006

Here are some interview questions:

If a MD ordred NPH insulin at 12 units and you took the patient's blood sugar and it was at 62..What would you do?

What are your strengths?

What is your weakness?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Nov 7, 2006

I like this thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/can-we-make-sticky-interview-questions-88629.html?highlight=interview+questions

As far as technical/patient care questions, they might give you a scenario or two to see if you're a critical thinker, but I think your personality is probably the more important factor in most interviews. They probably won't expect you to hit the ground running as a brand new nurse.

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2006

I have been on a couple of interviews and some of the same questions have cropped up.

What is your biggest weakness?

What brought you to our facility?

Tell me about a conflict you had and what you did to solve it.

If I called one of your old employers, or one of your clinical instructors, what would they tell me your strengths were?

Tell me about a time when a patient or family was upset with you and what you did about it.

Where do you see yourself as a nurse in 5 years?

The behavioral questions, the "tell me" ones are easy to answer if you remember SAR..

S-sitaution, briefly describe the situation

A-action, describe the action you took

R-result, describe the result.

If you remember SAR then you will not ramble as much, I say in my brain, situation, OK told them that, time to move onto action etc...I tend to ramble when I am nervous and remembering these steps helps reign me in.

Good luck to you!

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 11, 2006

*I was asked what I thought would be my biggest challenge from NS to GN/RN position.

*I was then asked how I was going to resolve that issue when I started.

*I was asked what I would do in 3 scenerio type situations.

*I was asked where I wanted to be in 5 years (and no, the correct answer is not always right there in the position you are applying for).

*I was asked what my clinical instructors would say about me if she was to call one right now (I did about 75% of my clinicals on this particular floor with the same instructor).

*She asked me my biggest challenge in NS and how I was able to resolve that challenge.

*She has asked me what I enjoyed the most about nursing school. She also asked me what I liked least about NS.

*I was asked my biggest weakness and how could/would I resolve that weakness on the unit.

*I was asked what my biggest strength was and how I could/would use that on the unit.

*I was asked how I would deal with a co-worker that did something horribly wrong to a patient and violated P&P and how I would handle the post conflict it would cause on the unit if I was(did) to report the situation.

*We discussed conflict issues on the unit. We also discussed teamwork. We talked very briefly about how NS did not prepare me for the world to come that was just a step in the big huge process of being an RN. We talked a lot about the support groups the hospital has for GN's and how she felt those were very valuable.

*We also discussed my training, orientation and classes I would be taking over the next 90 days.

*I was asked the normal questions - can you work nights, weekends, holidays, etc....

That pretty much sums it up - I work on this unit but I was put through the same interview as all GN/RN's are put through.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Nov 14, 2006

All good responses in above posts. I recommend you have some questions prepared yourself. What is the turnover rate for this unit? Does the facility have a clinical ladder program? How does the facility promote professional development for nursing staff?

Ask the interviewer for a business card so you can send them a thank you and spell the name correctly.

Dress appropriately. I see this recommendation all over the place, but people still come in looking like they fit my interview in between Wal-Mart and a visit at the Vet.