Multiple Job Interviews...Help!!!

[WildcatFanRN]

I have an interview in Virginia later this month, I think this will be rather straight forward as I have already had a phone interview with this particular manager. My question has to do with the other three interviews I have later that same week in North Carolina. These interviews entail a peer interview with a group of nurses from each of the units I'll be interviewing with. I have never had a peer interview and I have no idea what to expect, or what questions to ask. I have questions that I like to ask managers, but I don't think they are good for this. HELP!!! I have two weeks to prepare and I want to give my best for all of these interviews to increase my chances that at least one will give a job offer.

In Virginia I'll be interviewing for a position on a Surgical Progressive Care Unit.

In North Carolina I'll be interviewing for positions in a Cardiovascular Intermediate Unit, Oncology Unit, and OR.

Why such a variety of units? I figure showing interest in a variety will help my chances. Eventually I would love to work NICU, but right now I just want to work. Though I must admit the OR does sound very, very interesting.

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

Remember for an interview, bring transcripts, copy of your CPR card, RN liscense number/print out from your BON, letters of recomendation, etc.

Transcripts? The reason I ask is why would anyone need to see my transcripts. I'll copy it (once I find it) if I need to though. Letters of Recommendation are harder to get. I'll be taking clinical reference forms to my school next week so they can get filled out. I really do wish they had gone over what to take with you to an interview. I'm learning new stuff everyday on this site. Resume, business cards, etc....who knew? Really, who knew it would be this complicated?

Also, cutting my resume down to 1 page is fine for submitting it online, but I do think I need to take the complete 3 pager to the actual interview along with my cover letter. I just need to remember to cater my cover letter for each unit I'm interviewing for.

I have one week to get this all together......eeek!!! I'm wondering if I should re-re-re-re-tweek my resume......

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

Ok. The questions I get asked at interviews always seem to stump me. Over my career as an LPN I haven't had a whole lot of conflicts to handle or really nasty patients or family members. I usually get along with everyone, but have not done anything stellar IMO. Why do they then ask "name an instance where you really made a difference"? How in the world do you answer that one?

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Ok. The questions I get asked at interviews always seem to stump me. Over my career as an LPN I haven't had a whole lot of conflicts to handle or really nasty patients or family members. I usually get along with everyone, but have not done anything stellar IMO. Why do they then ask "name an instance where you really made a difference"? How in the world do you answer that one?

Nothing stellar? How about making people feel comfortable, happy, relaxed? How about teaching patients about their medications so that they can be compliant and help save their own lives? Wasn't there a time when you advocated for a patient or made sure a patient got that extra attention when they needed it?

I'm sure you're done those things but it's hard for us nurses to tell others about it. I'm sure you can think of a couple of instances that could've had disastrous results for patients if you had not intervened in a timely manner.

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

Nothing stellar? How about making people feel comfortable, happy, relaxed? How about teaching patients about their medications so that they can be compliant and help save their own lives? Wasn't there a time when you advocated for a patient or made sure a patient got that extra attention when they needed it?

I'm sure you're done those things but it's hard for us nurses to tell others about it. I'm sure you can think of a couple of instances that could've had disastrous results for patients if you had not intervened in a timely manner.

I never thought of these as "making a huge difference". I just thought it something your supposed to do, no big deal. I guess when you look at it from the pt's perspective it does make a difference. I guess that's why I can never think of an answer to this question....to me its routine care. Is this wrong?

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

I never thought of these as "making a huge difference". I just thought it something your supposed to do, no big deal. I guess when you look at it from the pt's perspective it does make a difference. I guess that's why I can never think of an answer to this question....to me its routine care. Is this wrong?

It's not wrong, but just think about it -- yours might be the kindest face that patient's seen in years. I know that when I was a kid, a nurse was so kind to me that it did change my life.

You never know.

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

It's not wrong, but just think about it -- yours might be the kindest face that patient's seen in years. I know that when I was a kid, a nurse was so kind to me that it did change my life.

You never know.

I just saw that the career advice forum is back. It seemed like it was gone after the site was re-done. I knew there was somewhere on this site that had interview tips LOL.

I don't know why I'm stressing so much about these interviews. With the way things are going I'm going to go blank no matter how much I prepare LOL. Phone interviews are so much easier, I can channel my nervousnes into a doodle while talking lol.

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

YOU WILL DO OK! I JUST KNOW IT!!

My suggestion is that since you already know what is going to stump you, think of a patient that you helped. Doesn't have to be anything big. For example my story of how I made a difference. There was a pt who was complaining and giving the nurses a hard time. turns out he was mad because he couldn't find his shoes. The patient advocate went in and didn't catch on that was all he needed. He had moved to a couple different rooms in the hospital. I went in and listened to him for maybe 2 minutes and I figured where his shoes where. I went to the originial room (which was 3 doors down from where he was) looked in the closet and low and behold there it was.

Now after you say your story, I think its better if you say what I learned was. For example I learned that just giving my time and actually listening to the patient I can see what is their real complaint. Sometimes we try to block out all the complaining and don't realize that its something like a basic need or a need that is really important to the pt but that we can fix rather quickly.

See it wasn't anything life or death, but I think that the managers are looking for problem solving skills, your ability to handle a situation. The learning part that I always add gives it a different touch. Like I just didn't do it and it was over with. I think it shows that I take my experiances and really learn from them. Which is what any manager would want from her nurse, dont ya think?

[WildcatFanRN, BSN, RN]

I never really thought of it that way. I never thought it was the simple, everyday things we all do that at the time we don't think makes a difference is what they are looking for in an interview. To me it always seemed like you HAD to have one of those "I walked in the room, saw the guy was blue, initiated the code, and saved his life" kind of stories. I'm beginning to see they want something a lot simpler than that, A LOT simpler. Not to say that if you have been in a situation like that, that you wouldn't mention it. And your right, saying what you might have learned from any given situation does show willingness to learn, from even the smallest thing.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

You got that right. You cannot believe how grateful a patient can feel for something as simple as a nice glass of water or an extra blanket, or even a few kind words. It's really hard and really frightening to be away from home, in strange surroundings, with people who don't seem to care about you.

So when someone acts like they care if you live or die, or hurting or freezing cold, or thirsty or hungry, well that can make all the difference. To me, anyway. I've been a patient enough times to really appreciate good nurses and doctors.