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Discussion

Need interviewing advice!

Hi Everyone! ;)

I have an interview this week with a Level I Hospital. Can anyone give me any advice on interviewing? I am going to graduate this May and have been a Cetified Surgical Tech for the past 6 years. Also-can I expect to earn the bare minimum nursing wage if I have OR experience as a tech and want to continue to work in the OR-in a different hospital?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

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First, congratulations on graduating. Yes, you will be starting at the salary for a new nursing grad. For the most part, even if you were a LPN who who ahd years of experience and went back for your RN, you would also start at the new-RN salary. It is considered a new position. And many of the LPNs had to take a pay cut but soon made up for it.....................

And remember that even though you have all of the experience as a tech, you are now going to be in a different position and will be reuqired to orient to all of the services as the nurse. Figure on that taking a minimum of six months, if not longer.

Hope that this helps.

I'm surprised you aren't interviewing at the hospital where you've been a ST for the last 6 years. Seems that would be a shoe in for you. Our ST's who become nurses just continue on in the OR as a nurse. Yes, you will get starting RN pay because what you've done before was not nursing. However, since you know some aspects of the OR I would think it would put you on a faster raise track, maybe not. I don't think many ST's really understand what the nursing aspect is in the OR.

I had a recent interview where the strangest question was asked. It was: What 5 negative words would your previous supervisor use to describe you? That was very weird. I pass it along here just in case that is some new management psychological interview question to see how one handles it.

As far as the interview goes, I would play up as much as you know about the OR in terms of what the nurse does and how you would compliment their OR nurses training program. Best wishes to you.

OK - about the pay...

I think that if your current pay is greater than that of an entery level RN starting salary, they should at least meet what you are now being paid. Otherwise, don't expect to get more than the starting RN salary at that institution.

If you really want to change places of employment, you should be a shoe-in in an OR (if they have positions open). You already know the surgical procedures and the instruments.

Big mistake... NEVER say "but this is how I've always done it at my previous place of employment"... I'm sure that you know that only causes resentement. Plus, change is a constatnt. The more different ways that you know to do something - well you know that flexability is a plus.

Be yourself in the interview. If you are an assett at your current place, you most surely will be at a new place!!

And- congrats on graduating.

Dave

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