New grad L&D interview help?

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I am a senior nursing student who will be graduating next month. I have an interview next Tuesday for an L&D RN position at a large hospital that often gets high-risk deliveries from all over the region. I searched for some possible interview questions they might ask, but didn't find much here so far. I found questions I should ask them, so I am prepared for that. If anyone could help out with questions they might ask a new grad during an L&D interview, it would be very much appreciated!

Specializes in ER.
That's cool so you have changed depts, good experience. When you had the L&D interview was it a panel interview and how long did it take for them to let you know you were considered for hire. I had an interview for Versant program for ER and waiting for the results, they are still interviewing, tmrw is the last day.

For the L&D interview, I scheduled my shadow day that Friday the same week of my interview, and then heard from them 2 weeks later. For my ER offer, it took 3 weeks after the interview, even though they told me I'd hear from them in 10 days and I called them repeatedly after that 10 days.

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Specializes in Step Down.

How did you get the L&D interview in the first place? I graduate next month and it's my dream job!! How did you start getting interviews before you graduated in the first place? The hospitals here are telling us to wait until we have an NCLEX date.....Any advice would be helpful!!! Thanks so much!

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Specializes in labor and delivery,peds, med sure, ASU a.

I sometimes sit in on the peer interview and like the other posters said it is alot of behavioral questions...When we have a nurse prospect shadow a nurse, dont' be afraid to ask alot of questions! Get in there- as scary as it sounds ask to start iv's ask about the fhr strip,etc...Being timid doesn't work esp in a high risk l and d unit. And once you start to work there trust me you will feel lost! LOL it's normal, it took me a good years to feel comfortable,even 6 years later there are things I am still learning. You will have your days you go home crying, not wanting to come back. Trust me all of us have been there. Even to this day there are nurses who have worked for many many years that occsionaly have their breakdown in the nurses lounge. We are all human. I started in labor and delivery as a new grad-which I wound not reccommend! But that is what Iwanted to do. And let me tell you every other day I was calling the director after interview to check on thestatus of it. I worked nights as there was a waiting list for days. A year later I transferred to a level 2 Trauma Hospital to work day shift. I got my RNC and now work on maternal transport flight/ground team. Also give yourself at least 6 months in the unit to decide if you really like it....Good luck:clpty:

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Specializes in ER.
How did you get the L&D interview in the first place? I graduate next month and it's my dream job!! How did you start getting interviews before you graduated in the first place? The hospitals here are telling us to wait until we have an NCLEX date.....Any advice would be helpful!!! Thanks so much!

I just applied, and called and emailed the nurse manager a few times. At this particular hospital, the nurse manager told me all the nurses she'd hired in the last year had been new nurses, so they just happened to be a new-nurse-friendly unit. The interviewing and hiring process takes so long, I started applying to jobs three months before graduation. I didn't start following up and really pursuing anything until a couple of weeks before graduation though, and for the jobs I did call (just the L&D one and the ER one), I got an interview. At the L&D interview, they told me they really liked that I had so many questions to ask them because it showed that I had thought about issues I might encounter when I started working. Just be persistant and prepared and you'll be fine!

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Specializes in Step Down.
I just applied, and called and emailed the nurse manager a few times. At this particular hospital, the nurse manager told me all the nurses she'd hired in the last year had been new nurses, so they just happened to be a new-nurse-friendly unit. The interviewing and hiring process takes so long, I started applying to jobs three months before graduation. I didn't start following up and really pursuing anything until a couple of weeks before graduation though, and for the jobs I did call (just the L&D one and the ER one), I got an interview. At the L&D interview, they told me they really liked that I had so many questions to ask them because it showed that I had thought about issues I might encounter when I started working. Just be persistant and prepared and you'll be fine!

Would you be able to give me some examples of questions you asked? I know the general ones....something out of the ordinary I guess. Thanks for replying!! I need some motivation to start this dreaded process. I don't know what's worse, studying for the NCLEX or applying for jobs.

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Specializes in ER.
Would you be able to give me some examples of questions you asked? I know the general ones....something out of the ordinary I guess. Thanks for replying!! I need some motivation to start this dreaded process. I don't know what's worse, studying for the NCLEX or applying for jobs.

I asked what the process was for orientation (as in, did it include any classroom time or not), if the preceptors they used were specially trained for being a preceptor, what problems they had encountered with nurses in the past that did not work out, how they would evaluate me during my orientation period, the nurse to patient ratio, if the orientation period could be extended if I felt like I needed it, what duties if any I would not be allowed to do until I gained experience (on this particular unit, I would not do triage until I had at least a year in), what their expectations of a new grad were, and then a whole bunch that I just thought of during the interview. I can't remember anything specific. I would rather do interviews than study for NCLEX any day :rolleyes:

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I just came across your post. I am a soon to be graduate and I am very interested in going into L and D. I was able to do a 7 week role transition on a L and D floor and I loved it and learned so much. I live in the Cincinnati area and would be willing to relocate. If you dont mind could you tell me the Hospital you applied at to get the L and D interview if its anywhere near Cincinnati. Thank you!

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Hi there, I (Like TONS of new grads) am interested in L&D, what didn't you like about it? I get tons of mixed reviews. Thanks!

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Specializes in ER.
Hi there, I (Like TONS of new grads) am interested in L&D, what didn't you like about it? I get tons of mixed reviews. Thanks!

I am a person who needs variety, lots of it. While some pregnancies/deliveries will be different, when I shadowed I felt like we checked cervixes over and over, kept an eye on the fetal monitoring strips, delivered a baby and did it all over again. I like taking care of different ages/sexes/diseases. So, ER was the best choice for me. Lots of people love L&D and would never do anything different, you just have to find what makes you happy. :) Good luck.

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