Nurse Aid Interview-What Should I Review?

[jpeters84]

I have an interview for a nurse aid job in a hospital I would love to work at once I graduate. I have been off of nursing school for the summer for over a month and I feel a little rusty on clinical skills. I am really nervous for this interview because I know they are going to ask me a lot of nursing skill questions and I just feel so out of the nursing school relm since I've been away. Is there anyone out there that is a nurse aid or CNA that can help make suggestions on skills or topics to review that you think I need to be familiar with or that they might ask me about? I know the basics and I have a good overview of what I need to know but I thought I'd post this and ask to cover all my bases. Thanks.

[nurz2be]

I am going to give you a piece of job advice first, then clinical advice. If this is truly the place you want to work when you are done, consider the time that you are there an extended nursing interview. If you are walking into a hospital as a "tech" you are saying, "I am a potential nurse." You are going to be held at a higher standard with the nurses as you are going to be a colleague. You are also going to be observed by the nurse managers as someone who could be a potential nurse on their staff. So, that being said, always be punctual, do your best not to call off work, do what you say you will, if and when you goof be the first to own up to it, offer yourself to assist the nurses with their work so they see you are eager, ask if you can watch any procedures that are happening on your floor, and get ready for an interesting experience.

Now, clinical skills, I assure you that as soon as you get in the hospital you are going to remember what to do. You will be assigned a preceptor of sorts, that will make sure you are up to speed on things. Grab a blood pressure cuff and make sure you can still take one accurately. A lot of hospitals have Dynamaps, so maybe you can practice on one. Other than that, each hospital, each floor for that matter tends to do things their own way, so be open to learning new ways to do things you may already know how to do.

[OhBoy123]

Make sure you are able to answer questions about how you deal with stress in the workplace, how you are with time management, how you deal with conflict etc. I would think the interview would focus on these qualities more than they will asking about specific clinical skills. Let the nurse manager/ HR person know that you are interested in working in their hospital after graduation and give specific reasons why, such as you feel the hospitats mission fits within your own philosophy of nursing practice blah blah blah :) Good luck!

[jpeters84]

Thanks for the good advice. It's easy to concentrate on getting the job and forget the big picture. I appreciate the insight.