New Grad interview experiences

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Hi,

I have heard from several classmates that hospitals/employers are trending toward asking scenario type questions during the employment interview process, and I was just wondering if any of you had this experience. If so, what type of questions were you asked? I find this interesting and would love to hear your interview stories.

Thanks!!

Jogi

Employers will ask you all about your past experiences, akward positions you were put in, how did u handle a conflict btwn pt & other staff, how did you handle a violent situation if your pt acted out. Why do u want to work at that facility? Why did you pick that floor, why did you pick that speciality, what will you bring to the team, why should we hire you?

Hope this helps!

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some Qs i got was....

-What is critical thinking and how did you use it during your preceptorship?

-What does the teamplay mean to you?

and most of the Qs people wrote in this post!

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Specializes in Cardiac Nursing.

I got lucky, my last interview stated he didn't like asking scenario questions. Just wanted to know more about me and my goals. Pretty much had the job a few sentences in. Now the questions I asked him, stumped him. I used some fromt he career section on this site since you as an interviewee are also interviewing the facility. I asked him specific, facility/unit goal questions. I think he actually liked I came with questions. Now if he can het HR to hurry up and give him my salary quote so I can "officially" be offered the job.

Christine

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I went for an interview with the Nurse recruiter for my future job, and she asked the basic questions:

-strength/weakneses

-how I handled a difficult situation with a doctor or patient

- why I chose nursing, etc.

Then I guess it went well that right after our interview she sent me to the Nurse Manager of the ICU. I was caught off guard because it was so unexpected. Everyone that I've talked to had their interviewed for the Hospital said that their second interview was scheduled for another day.

The nurse mgr was great though, she saw that I was a little nervous at first so she started with the generic questions:

-why nursing, why did i choose the ICU, etc.

Then she went into the hard stuff (which i wasnt expecting or was not prepared for at all)

-pt. has CHF, what medication are you expecting to be prescribed and what are you suppose to look out for

- talked about dig and lasix (lab values, sign and symptoms, what to report to doctor)

-received a pt post op from knee surgery and presents with decreased BP, increased HR, whats wrong with him and why

- 2 days later same knee surgery patient complains of chest pain upon inspiration, whats wrong and why

- doctor gives you difficult time, what do you do.

- where do i see myself in 5 years

Her last one was funny: You're preparing a turkey dinner for 20 people. Your oven breaks, what do you do. :offtopic: It was a funny way to end the interview.

Anyways, that interview was the most nerve-wracking 1 hour of my life. I felt like a deer cought in the head lights. But . . I guess I did well enough that I got the job offer 5 days later. :D

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Specializes in Psych.

Ok, this was for a job a few years ago but I swear I actually had an HR person ask me this.

If you could be any animal,what would you be?

I just stared at her for a minute and finally blurted out "cat". Well, because I had a pet cat. No other reason. Then she asked me "Why a cat?" in a very distasteful manner. I didn't really know what to say but I think I said something like "because they are graceful and aloof and get to lay around all day on the windowsill and have no responsibilities". She got all smug and said she would have picked a dog because they are loyal and energetic. Needless to say I didn't get the job. Happy I didn't cause karma stepped in and I got a much better job a couple of weeks later.

But seriously, who asks a question like that?

D:eek:

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I had a phone interview 6 days ago, and I was asked a couple of past experience questions, and "what if" scenarios. I thought I did pretty well on those kinds of questions, but she then continued, and said "I have some clinical questions for you", :eek: and I thought uh-oh! She asked me what I should do when a middle aged patient came to ER with an abdominal pain, then an hour later he complained of chest pain. I was silent for a second with heart beating so fast I could hear it :redbeathe Thump!Thump!Thump! Then I just blurted out what I could think of... Assess patient pain (scale, precipitating factor...etc), Ask him if he had this pain before, assess VS, administer O2, tell the doctor all the findings from assessment I made, check blood work, chest ekg, let patient rest... anything that came to my mind! I really don't know what I'm going to do. Then she also ask me about a patient with normal BP 120/70, and after four hours the BP went down to 80/60... I'm telling you guys, I just blacked out, and just heard myself saying "I don't know" :banghead: AAaaaAarghhh! Then I continued telling her that I would assess the patient, and let him rest while I get the doctor. I would also check the patient's chart for medicine that would make his BP go this low (after the interview, when my mind was cleared, I wish I took some time, and thought about the question for a minute, and answered the questions like a pro) She just said "ok"... and I thought to myself, "I don't think she's even gonna be interested in me after this", but guess what? She wants to schedule me for an interview with the unit manager. I was stumped! I guess I did "ok". :rolleyes:

:confused: One thing bothers me though, the recruiter said that she have to confirm with the unit manager schedule first before she can set it up. It has been 6 days, but she still didn't call me back yet. I left her a message yesterday... is this normal, or is she hiding from me? :bluecry1: I really want to work at that hospital waaaah!

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.
Here are some questions I was asked on interviews:

How do you react under stress in the workplace?

What coping mechanisms do you have in place to help you deal with stress?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Why do you want a job in this area?

I think we had the same interveiw.:eek: I was also asked what I would do if I discovered I had given a wrong medication to the wrong patient and they developed a reaction.

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Well let me first start off by saying that you are not alone.... this interview stuff is so stressful..... :sstrs:

First it took me almost 2 months of putting in applications and getting rejections via email :yldhdbng:before I recieved an interview at a hospital.

Here's a little about my experience:

The application process was crazy.... of course like every other hospital I had to fill out my entire life story, and on top of that they had several short answer questions along with a one page essay that had to be submitted along with references and school transcripts. Really putting together this "portfollio" as they called it took hours and hours.

The HR phone call.... we were instructed to call HR when our portfollio was complete and submitted to verify recipt... so I did and she began asking interview questions????? what???? I was caught so off guard. Luckily they were basic, like why do you want to be a nurse? Where do you see yourself in 5 years etc... at the end of which she informed me that she was forwarding my application on to the floor manager and if she was interested she would call me. So I made it though that round of questioning.

Next was the phone call from the Nurse Manager. I was so excited. She mostly asked questions about myself and I was so nervous and unprepared I was just rambling on and on... And at the end she said she wanted to offer me an interview... WoW I could not believe it, So the interview was scheduled 3 weeks away....I thought that it was kind of strange being so far away, my friend reassured me that it was normal.

Then the email.... The nurse manager emailed me some recent floor newsletters and the email addresses of some of the RNs on staff so that I could ask them questions... I thought that was strange too, but took it as a good sign and that I better ask some good quality questions... which I did and was happy to actually recieve some responses.

Finally the interview..... I was so nervous, I left my house 2 hours before the interview so that I would not be late, (I live in a large metropolition area and there is always traffic issues). I arrived about 15 minutes early which was great because it set a good tone and started the interview off on the right foot. (I think it is always good to be early even if its only a few minutes, it makes a good impression). I think I rambled a lot in this interview too, its what I do when I get nervous, (Oh and have I mentioned that I am being interviewed by the Nurse Manager, another nurse manager, a staff nurse/nurse educator and another staff nurse???? Talk about pressure). So as for the questions:

Why did you choose nursing?

Tell me about a challenging patient.

What is your best quality?

What is your worst quality?

What would you do if you were confronted by a staff member? (I asked for a senario because I said that every situation can sightly change the response so they followed with.....)

What would you do if a staff nurse got in your face and yelled at you that you did not do something for a patient in front of everyone at the nurses station?

What if it was a doctor what would you do?

Where you see yourself in 5 years? Are you interested in continuing your education?

Why should we choose you?

They also asked if I was familiar with their computer system and if I had experience with Telemetry.

I was just honest.... if I didn't know something I told them and reinforced that I am not only willing to learn but am a quick learner.

I know there were other questions as well but that was the jist of it.... Then they asked if I had any questions.... the main thing I wanted to know was when they were going to make their decision.... I was told the earliest would be the following monday but most likely not till the following Friday as they still had more interviews the following week and that they would only be hiring 2-3 people..... Then they gave me a tour.... and I left.

Honestly it felt like I had been there for hours and hours but in reality it had only been about 45 minutes. I was so nervous about my answers, I immediately called my friend to verify what I had responed to make sure I did not make a complete fool out of myself. Then it became the NCLEX waiting game all over again (You know what I'm talking about, stressing over every answer untl you recieve your results)

Well to my surprize the next morning while I was just beginnig to tell my mom about the interview, my other line clicked and it was one of the best hospitals in the world offering me the position on the CCU, the position that I had just barely interviwed for the day before.

:anpom:YEAH ME!!!!!:anpom:

SO.... I am sharing all of this for two reasons.... yes I am just excited .... but more than that I want to show that things work out... I too graduated in May, and just barely got this job... I don't even start for another week and a half. Also, just be yourself in your interview... I made jokes where appropriate and tried to be as relaxed as I could given the situation... and of course in the end I thanked them for the opportunity and told them what a postive experience the hiring process had been... interesting, different, hard work, but positive. About a week prior to the interview I sat with a friend and we just went over different types of patinet senarios and how to turn things that maybe did not go so well into a positve. Many times interviewer will ask the question with a negative connotation... like what did you like the least about nursing school..... the challenge is to recognize and identify the negative but put a positive spin on it.

Anyways..... Good Luck...... Interviewing for nursing positions is a long process so just be patient and something will come through....

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What were the questions you asked him, I have an interview coming up and I'm looking for questions to impress the nurse manager interviewing me!?...

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Hi,

I am a new graduate nurse who will have my interview next week at a major hospital for the Neuro-ICU position. I just have some questions:

1. Will it be very difficult for me to work as a new grad in the Neuro-ICU?

2. What are the usual cases i will encounter daily?

3. What is the essential skill i need to have in order to be a successful Neuro-ICU nurse?

4. What's the most frustrating thing and the best thing about being a Neuro-ICU RN?

5. What interview questions do they usually ask???

6. What's the most stressful thing you've experienced in this unit??

I am so anxious about my coming interview. Hope someone could help me. I really want to get the job.

Thank you in advance and God Bless you all!!

Alex

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"I have a set of scrubs in your size and am going to put you on the floor today. What information do you need from me?"

"You've been working since 7am, it's 1 and you haven't had lunch yet and are covering another nurse's patients while that nurse grabs lunch. One of that nurse's patients is about to have thoracentesis done and the doctor is sticking his head out of the patient's room asking for pain meds for the procedure. You see a patient's family member coming off the elevator and coming in your direction who was angry about her family member's care on the phone earlier in the day. The ED is calling to give report on a new admit. What order do you handle these situations in?"

"You go in to your patient's room shortly after lunch and the patient states he is experiencing chest pain. What do you do."

And I've gotten the more standard behavioral questions, handling conflicts, dealing with a sudden change in your tasks, being asked to do something you disagree with, etc.

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I got a lot of behavioral questions:

Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a co-worker, how did you handle it?

Tell me about the a difficult patient and how did you handle it?

Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a patient.

Tell me about yourself...

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I asked:

Is there any concerns you may have about my potential employment that I can clarify?

Will there be any mandatory certifications I can work towards as a RN on your unit?

Can you describe an ideal candidate for this position?

What are some issues that other new grads had on this unit?

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