Failed the pre-employment talent screening test

Nurses Job Hunt

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Anyone take one of these online pre-employment screening tests during the application phase, and be told you failed therefor are not eligible to apply for RN jobs at that hospital?

Are these rigged to fail you?

I recently had a crappy experience w/a recruiter here. I did a 5 question medication test and a 5 question strips test. Apparently I failed?! LOL! I know I didn't fail, even my 10-yr old could figure the math out.

Specializes in Emergency Medicine, Psychiatric Crisis.

Was it one of those personality based ones? Please clarify. If so, you did not fail....you just did match the profile what what they were looking for.

Was it one of those personality based ones? Please clarify. If so, you did not fail....you just did match the profile what what they were looking for.

Yes it was. I have been crying my eyes out trying to understand how my personal character could disqualify from direct pt care. I'm a good person and a great nurse and get high marks for customer service and working with peers. It really feels like this is rigged.

I have a big problem with those personality tests - I tend to be waaaay too honest, which is not always the answers they want to hear! Once I'm interviewing in person, I'm fine, but those darn multiple choice quizzes are just out to get me. I have this problem in other areas too, where I take things too literally. So once when I had an over-the-phone multiple choice personality screening, I got my girlfriend to sit beside me and listen in. Any time I was taking something too literally she would shake her head at me, not tell me what I should answer, but just to tell me I was overthinking it. Got that job and held it throughout nursing school, still on great terms with my bosses and coworkers from there.

A test isn't really a great personality screener if you ask me. Don't worry, you WILL find a job that doesn't require it and I'm sure you'll do great as a nurse! Just don't let the machines get ya down.

i just found out today that i actually passed the medication & arrhythmia test. it was the behavioral testing that i did not pass :no: but good news is....i can re-apply in 6 months :sarcastic: i guess 10+ years experience in med/surg is not enough?!

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I am thinking they are looking for followers, not leaders.....

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Honestly, when I saw the title to this thread, I was envisioning an "X Factor" scenario with Judges criticizing each applicant's "performance" - LOL. Ridiculous, right? But so are those screening tests.

I have had quite a bit of O/I Psychology education and training. Early in this process, we learned that everyone lies when it comes to these sorts of assessments - especially if they involve measuring 'truthfulness' or 'honesty'. In order to be really applicable, an assessment must include several different types of measures - not just a one-size-fits-all multiple choice mess.

The driver behind this new fad is HCAHPS... which now links reimbursement to patient satisfaction. So, rather than undergo an accurate analysis of their own processes to figure out why patients are unhappy (eh, could it be poor staffing? Bad meals? Rude docs?) they just buy into a 'charm school' solution to find the 'right people'. :roflmao: Most of us already know that this is going to end badly. But then, they'll be off on another tangent.

Heck, I think that maybe this is an entrepreneurial opportunity. Someone with 'testing knowledge' should offer up their services to coach people to make the preferred responses to the cockamamie assessments. Hmmmm -

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ironic thing is that the facility that i currently work for and have for more than 10 years...use the press ganey...so I'm used to all the patient satisfaction measures that have been implemented in our facility for the sake of our "scores"..also the facility where I work was designated w/magnet status in 2012...so I'm thinking that maybe...im just not the right fit for this med/surg/tele position at this new hospital that i applied for? oh well...on to my next venture...

Yes it was. I have been crying my eyes out trying to understand how my personal character could disqualify from direct pt care. I'm a good person and a great nurse and get high marks for customer service and working with peers. It really feels like this is rigged.

i know the feeling...im in the same boat

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Anyone take one of these online pre-employment screening tests during the application phase, and be told you failed therefor are not eligible to apply for RN jobs at that hospital?

Are these rigged to fail you?

I can't imagine they'd be rigged to fail people--otherwise, they'd have no applicants eligible to hire. The problem with these tests is that it's not always clear exactly what they are looking for.

I've taken those tests...passed some, don't know if I failed any but I wouldn't be surprised if I did. Like fetch, I'm too honest about myself, which means I probably shoot myself in the foot here and there.

Specializes in public health.

If the place is screening out people based on some test results, not even offering you a chance to show yourself, don't work for them. I have been in school long enough to figure out the answers they want, even though it may not be the answer I would give.

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