ped externship, help with interview questions?

[dlaura22]

Hello!

I had an interview for an externship for a position at Children's hospital in the PICU. I feel that the inital interview went well so I'm hoping that I'll get a call back to interview with the managers. anyways, I was wondeirng if any of you new grads, externs, or ped RNs could maybe direct me as to what kind of questions I might be asked or prepared to answer. I want to be ready! Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you!

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

You should know your respiratory assessment cold, because the vast majority of PICU patients will have respiratory compromise of some sort. Shock states are also a big item. If the unit you're going to does post-op cardiac care, you should have a basic understanding of normal cardiac anatomy and the most common cardiac defects. Review your basic cardiac life support and if you can, at least familiarize yourself with the pediatric advanced life support algorithms. If you can integrate the theory into an action plan then you're ahead of the game. But they won't expect you to walk in off the street and function the way nurses who have been there 10 years do; it's not reasonable or rational. They will probably give you scenarios to prioritize. Pay close attention to the information they give you, don't assume anything that hasn't been said, and remember your ABCs. And remember that it's not a requirement to know everything, but you should know where to find the information you need. Oh, and don't let them see you sweat! Good luck!