My interview at a Hospital with the lions

[garn12]

I had an interview at a Hospital this morning in Ga for one of their ICU units. Basically the interview went horrible and I was ripped to shreds from the moment they walked in through the door. I was interviewed by two nurses and the director. I went to shake their hand one of the RNs did not even extend to shake my hand upon greeting. The entire interview process made me feel horrible.

My background: I graduated from nursing school with my BSN July 2012. I was an extern (float nurse's aide) from December 2010-last October 2012. I have one year experience as an RN on a med surg ortho/spine surgical unit in a level two trauma hospital. I am chair of shared governance on my floor, and I have also charged quite a few times on my unit.

They told me verbatim that "I have no experience". They implied to me that if I get a job here I need to know how to access a patient which offended me because I felt like they were basically telling me I don't know how to assess a patient which is something all nurses do. They asked me if I had any experience with central lines and foleys. They laughed in my face when I told them my hospital I currently work at has an IV team.

At times I would answer questions they cut me off and even re asked the same question which led me to believe that they were not interested to begin with. I would have personally preferred to receive an automated rejection response from HR than to sit in an interview for 30 minutes and be hazed and asked do I know what I'm getting myself into by coming to work here.

The hospital looked nice on the inside and I really feel bad because I want to learn and grow as a nurse and this is the best hospital to be at. However, I felt degraded and as though I haven't accomplished anything at all. The unit director asked me what was our patient satisfaction scores on the unit I work for. I actually don't know that answer but I know it is accessible to the public if she was curious. I thought the interview was about me not the unit I work for???

The unit director then left in the middle of the interview and let the other two nurses finish. Where is nursing going these days? Why are people so rude? If I met the qualifications for applying for the job and I was offered the interview why was it necessary to bring me in to humiliate me?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

hmm

Any organization that involves peers in the interview process should ensure that they are prepared to do so. This should include some content on how to establish and maintain a professional and respectful atmosphere. From the OP's description, it would appear that something went awry in this instance. Even if OP may have been a bit too sensitive to the perceived value judgments of the peer interviewers, they should have picked up on this and softened the message accordingly.

Interviews are not auditions. Interviews permit the hiring manager an opportunity to collect data from all applicants so that it can then be reviewed and analyzed to determine which one is best. The interview is not the time/place to reject candidates and the role of peer interviewers is to make recommendations to the hiring manager. This interview seems to have gone off the rails.

[HeatherGurl84]

Be thankful you saw the true side of them IN THE INTERVIEW, and not after they hired you!

[CrazierThanYou]

I don't think I'd WANT that job.

I once interviewed for a job in another field and had a similar experience. The interviewers didn't shake my hand, wouldn't even smile and spent the whole interview looking down their noses on me.

[RNFiona]

Group interviews can be tough and some nurses can just be downright nasty.Even if they felt you didn't have enough experience they could have conducted the interview in a less demeaning manor. Laughing in your face was unnecessary and just downright unprofessional. We were all new once.

[withpurpose]

If this is any reflection of the hospital's culture, I would not want to be a patient there. This is the type of culture that has set itself up for experiencing preventable errors resulting in significant patient harm. Why? Because people are afraid to speak up, afraid to speak against someone of "authority", afraid to stop the line. All because they work in a culture that does not value what each individual has to offer in the care of the patient (including ancillary and support services). Being upfront about the current culture is one thing, but treating a candidate horribly in the attempt to weed out candidates or see "if they can take it" is inexcusable. It is very sad that someone that behaves in that manner is a Director. What you experienced is unprofessional and unbecoming to the nursing profession and healthcare leadership. Best of luck to you in finding the best match for you to continue to grow in your profession.

[harleyridingirl]

As a relatively new nurse you already feel insecure because you don't know everything, haven't seen everything and even though you feel you can handle your job since you have learned o much since getting your license, these people ripped you apart. What a shame. I agree that thank goodness they showed their true colors. Too many times on interviews everyone smiles and is so nice and then when you take the job you find out you have a terrible boss who screams and yells. You never know what you are going to get when you take a new job unless you know someone that works there. I do not understand why nurses don't have a more sympathetic view of newer nurses. Why don't they want to help us and train us so that we are great nurses? I have been lucky to have a few that have but then I refuse to work at a hospital. The only problem with that is no one wants to hire a nurse that hasn't done time in a hospital.

[KenH]

I'm sorry that you feel bad, but YOU failed the interview, YOU need to learn from it so you don't make the same mistakes on your next interview. They took the time to interview you; I bet there were lots of others that didn't make to the interview process.

. The entire interview process made me feel horrible.

Nobody can make you feel anything, it's your choice.

YOU ARE A NURSE! WHO WANTS TO WORK IN THE ICU?

.They told me verbatim that "I have no experience". They implied to me that if I get a job here I need to know how to access a patient which offended me because I felt like they were basically telling me I don't know how to assess a patient which is something all nurses do. They asked me if I had any experience with central lines and foleys. They laughed in my face when I told them my hospital I currently work at has an IV team.

You were OFFENDED, O my lions, tigers and bears, you were applying to work in a ICU unit and you told them you didn't have experience with starting IV's, because your hospital you currently work at has an IV team. What did you expect them to say, O that's ok because you can ask someone else to do your work for you?

ARE YOU ON THE IV TEAM? & why not.

There was this medsurg nurse that made it into the ICU. One day she said out loud, that she was getting a patient from the floor and was worried because they needed a Foley and she hadn't done one in a long time. How long do you think they lasted?

.

At times I would answer questions they cut me off and even re asked the same question which led me to believe that they were not interested to begin with. I felt degraded and as though I haven't accomplished anything at all.

THEY TRIED TO HELP YOU, but you didn't notice because you were TOO offended.

. I would have personally preferred to receive an automated rejection response from HR than to sit in an interview for 30 minutes and be hazed and asked do I know what I'm getting myself into by coming to work here.

You were applying to work in the ICU, What you learned in that 30 minutes that will help you grow into an ICU NURSE.

. The unit director asked me what was our patient satisfaction scores on the unit I work for. I actually don't know that answer but I know it is accessible to the public if she was curious. I thought the interview was about me not the unit I work for???

You really said you didn't know, REALLY! Seriously?

Patient satisfaction and employee satisfaction go hand in hand. Patient satisfaction scores ARE really important otherwise the director would not have asked you!

.Where is nursing going these days? Why are people so rude? If I met the qualifications for applying for the job and I was offered the interview why was it necessary to bring me in to humiliate me.

Because at least on PAPER you have the qualifications for applying for the job.

PLEASE, I'm not trying to be mean or hurtful , you have accomplished a lot, But you need to learn from this interview so you don't make the same mistakes on your next interview.

[newokiern]

That's terrible. Their behavior was completely unprofessional. You're obviously a qualified nurse and you certainly don't have to tolerate abuse from anyone. It's better that they behaved this way during the interview. It would have been worse if you had accepted the position and then had to work with them.

[canadianhungarian]

I had an interview a few months ago very very similar to yours. Felt that I was treated unfairly and all they did was belittle my previous experience. However I had to turn around and look at it at a different light. What was it they didn't like about me that I could learn from? A previous poster; KenH has many valid points. I took that interview as a learning experience. Only way you can deal with it now is move forward. Granted most facilities I have interviewed at have been professional and that was the only place where I felt like they wanted to kick me out the moment I sat down!!! 2 weeks later I went on an amazing interview that landed me my full time position at a pretty prestigious hospital :) the confidence you can (standing up for yourself) will help you in your next interview! Good luck! Keep your was up!!!!

[canadianhungarian]

Keep your head up!! Excuse my spelling and damn autocorrect!

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

They asked me if I had any experience with central lines and foleys. They laughed in my face when I told them my hospital I currently work at has an IV team.

They shouldn't have laughed, but you did give away your inexperience with this statement. Most nurses would not be expected to have started a central line. What they were asking was if you had experience giving meds through central lines, drawing blood, taking care of the dressings, comprehension of proper flushing techniques, etc. An IV team would not be doing that for you.

Just wanted to give you the heads up on that one if you are asked that question in the future. The proper answer would not be that you have an IV team, but that no, you have not had any experience with working with central lines.

Sorry you were treated badly and good luck in the future.

[apoppyfield, BSN, RN]

Their staff must be sitting in the parking lot having panic attacks before walking into work. Bad management is bad management in whatever profession.