Just Finished a Jr/Sr HS School Nurse Interview

[schoolnursejennie]

Hi everyone. I just got home from an interview at a high school grades 7-12 for a school nurse position. basically, it was a 4 person panel interview (3 school nurses from different schools within the district) and the director of health education. they each asked me 1 question.

1. why do you want to be a school nurse?

2. do you have the proper skills to be the lone medical authority in a school of 600 kids?

3. what would you do if 40% of the students did not have their immunization papers on the first day of school?

4. what would you do if a 15 year old student came in and told you she was pregnant?

i think i answered all of the questions well.

for the first one, i said i really like working with kids....i am looking for a career not just a job....i want to make an impact on the community....i feel like i would serve as a valuable resource to teens and young adults as they make the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.....that kinda thing

the second one, i said yes i am confident i have the skill set necessary to work as a school nurse. i have experience working in a school setting and working with students and faculty alike. i am able to assess the acuity of different situations and am able to manage chronic illnesses. blahbalabblah

the third one, i said if 40% of the students did not have immunization papers on the first day of school, i would have to follow the school policy on what the appropriate action would be. i said that new york state should have laws in place that i must comply with and i would notify the proper administrators and the parents to address the situation.

the fourth one, i said if a 15 year old told me she was pregnant and not to tell anybody, i would tell her that i cannot promise her that i will not tell anybody but i can promise her that i will support her and that she can trust me that she is in a safe environment where nobody will yell at her or hurt her. i will follow the school policy and FERPA laws where I can involve the school guidance counselor or social worker to try and figure out what the next steps are to take with the student.

are these answers ok? is it odd that they each asked one question and then it was over? they said that this was only the first interview out of a 3 interview process. are these good signs? bad signs?

ahhhh...any input would really be appreciated!!!!

[lissaq10]

Sounds like very good answers! I'm sure you did a great job. Good Luck!

[schoolnursejennie]

thanks! does each person asking only ONE question and then the interview ending make any sense? they said it's the first of 3 interviews if they decide they want to ask a candidate back. i just wasn't expecting a 20 minute interview, if it was even that long, with only 4 questions being asked. seemed odd and i'm feeling like it was a bad sign

[schooldistrictnurse]

I don't think its a bad sign--unfortunately or fortunately, people base a lot on first impressions. After answering those questions the interviewers have had a chance to get a "feel" for you. I think they will ask you back. Keep us informed!

[schoolnursejennie]

thanks! i will. :)

[schoolnursejennie]

bumpppp