28 Posts
I have asked the same question to people who have actually had many of these interviews where the interviewer asks really tough questions and from what I have been told, they do that sometimes just to see how you handle it. They sometimes ask questions one would never know unless you have taken anesthesia courses and the best thing to say is "I don't know the answer to that question, but I will make sure to look that up or find out the answer while in your program."
The worst thing to do is try to make it up or guess! If you are going to make up answers in an interview to impress them, what would you be inclined to do in a clinical situation when dealing with a real patient? They don't expect you to know everything before you have taken an anesthesia class. Good luck!
16 Posts
What do you mean by this? Are you being sarcastic? All I have heard is how badly they are going to drill you at interviews. I have three interviews next month and I have been sitting around memorizing pressor receptors, alveolar gas exchange equations, and how to calculate A-a gradients. Is this not expected?
83 Posts
What do you mean by this? Are you being sarcastic? All I have heard is how badly they are going to drill you at interviews. I have three interviews next month and I have been sitting around memorizing pressor receptors, alveolar gas exchange equations, and how to calculate A-a gradients. Is this not expected?
Depends on the program, some just as personal questions while others administer written test and oral tests. My interview was very in depth and asked things such as explain the a wave, v wave on the PA tracing, tell me everything you know about Primacor, and a lot of patient scenarios that required multiple interventions, etc. I was there for 4.5 hours total.
28 Posts
yes that is expected, but the things you have listed is basic critical care knowledge; calculating A-a gradients and memorizing pressor receptors is something every solid critical care nurse should know already. Don't be surprised if they ask you a question and you have no idea what they are talking about.
foraneman
199 Posts
There should not be any 'tough clinical questions' in the interview....