NEw Grad

I know you are nervous but this is not rocket science. Lets think about this rationally. What would you like to know about working there, about the unit and how it operates, what are some of the things you are wondering about.

Those are the questions to ask.

No let me guess yu might be wondering:

what it the nurse to patient ratio and does that include management or just bedside nurses specific to that floor?

What can I expect from my preceptorship and how long do you generally allow an new grad to be precepted?

Will I be allowed to work days or do you require new grads to work nights?

What resources and support are available to new grads?

What formal classroom education do you offer as part of a new grad training?

How many CNAs are available on the floor at any one time?

What is the most common condition of patients on this floor?

How soon can I expect a decision? OR How soon do you need a decision from me? (especially if you are considering more than one position)

What is the nurse turn over rate like on this floor? Why?

How flexible is your scheduling?

What do you see will be my greatest challenge in my first 6 months?

How much difficulty do you have staffing this floor? Or Tell me about your staffing challenges? When they ask you to be more specific when asking an open ended question like this second one you might ask how frequently do nurse work short?

What is your policy about mandatory overtime?

What is your policy for requesting time off??

May I have a tour of the unit and of the hospital?

Who do I reoprt to? (This is not about shift report but about who does your evaluations. Get the specific name of the person) Ask to meet this person if you have not had that opportunity during this interview.

Ok you probably have the idea now.

Ask about those things you are wondering about now.

If by some miracle they answer every one before you get to ask then ask them to clarify something they already said.

You might say, " I heard you say bla bla. Is that corrct?"

Or ask about something that raised another question as you were conversing.

Contrary to what we are told it is not a disaster if you do not ask a lot of questions. I have even had people avoid getting questions. I have never been not hired because I did not ask. They know that often they answer most of your questions before you can ask.

On the other hand do as those things that you want and or need to know about or are just wondering. This is the time and place to find out the information you need to make your decision.

Definitely ask about pulling. How often are the nurses on this floor pulled, where are they pulled to, how much training (if any) do they get on floors they are pulled to. Will I be pulled to ICU, NICU, postpartum, etc.