peer interviews

nursemichelle80, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

I just had a peer interview for a job I ended up declining. The peer interviews are for the people you will be working with to "interview" you to make sure you will be a good fit. They ask questions about your experience, etc. The peer interview wasn't bad at all. They kind of put me off when they started talking about drama on their unit. I can stay where I am and make more money to deal with the same drama

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

I'm a new RN and I already had one interview with the manager of the floor i want to work on. She wants to set me up for a peer interview which I've never heard of. What can you guys tell me about them? What kind of questions do they ask and what can i expect? Thanks in advance!!

Yes..... it's like "rush week" at some goofy sorority. I found the whole thing idiotic, even though I got the job. I wasn't there for some club meeting- I was there for a job :) But, it's not horrible- just a waste of my time- evidently they feel the need to do these things to see if everybody "likes" each other....how special :)

mom4josh · Aug 17, 2011

I have been an interviewer in one of these peer interviews, sometimes individually and sometimes in a group. They are very helpful in getting a better sense of how the person interacts with those with whom they may be working. Most of the time, the person being interviewed seems more relaxed and might reveal something that the manager does not pick up on. However, it also gives you a chance to see if you like them, and they may let you know something about the boss which may affect your decision. As stated by the previous poster, it works both ways! In general, I think it's a good idea.

Maggie09 · Aug 17, 2011

I had a peer interview at the first job I interviewed for a few years ago. I was not at all impressed, and glad I didn't end up working on that unit. It IS like a sorority "rush," kind of BS in my opinion. I want a manager who has a good enough feel for the unit to pick out his/her own employees without pawning it off on those who already work there. On a different note, I think shadowing is a good thing, because it lets you get a feel for how things actually go on a unit, and is a lot more productive than just seeing if you "fit in with the cool crowd," :lol2: I work in an ER now that requires shadowing prior to hiring, and I felt like it was a good thing.

tyvin, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

I like the peer interviews ... at least you get to meet who you will be working with and have a chance to see if you really click. We spend a lot of time at work and I think it's important to be able to be comfortable.

serein · Aug 17, 2011

Thanks for all your help! What kind of questions do they ask? I'm hoping mine will be as laid back as everyone has made it out to be.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

Thanks for all your help! What kind of questions do they ask? I'm hoping mine will be as laid back as everyone has made it out to be.

The most serious thing they asked me (and this was actually valid) was how would I prioritize the following :

- an OR tech waiting to transport a patient to surgery,

-c/o SOB

- vomiting patient

I told them I'd make sure the SOB was ok- and do what needed doing there, apologize to the OR tech for not being able to get to them immediately, while on my way to the puker. They were appeased. :)

MrChicagoRN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

The questions can vary.

Sometimes they are prepared with their questions, sometimes they are given a list of questions, sometimes they just wing it.

Be positive, be friendly and be prepared to talk a little about why you wanted to be a nurse, why you want to work there (other than I need a job).

Show an interest by being prepared with your own questions for the end; usually general stuff like- how long have you worked here, what do you like best about this unit, staffing...

Callisonanne · Aug 18, 2011

I really liked the peer interview for my current job. It included a staff nurse, clinical coordinator and the education specialist. They asked questions like "when was a time you went above and beyond?" "how do you feel about team work?" "name a time you messed up and how did you fix it?". They were just basic behavioral questions. My theory - If the person who works your job picks you amongst the many other people then you must be pretty impressive. Just my :twocents:

himilayaneyes · Aug 18, 2011

I enjoyed my peer interview. They asked a variety of questions. You can probably expect the following? Why do you want to transfer to the unit/facility? How do you stay up to date on your nursing knowledge? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? It's also just a way to see if your personality will mesh with theirs. Good luck.

Tahoewed777 · Aug 18, 2011

I have had only one peer interview and it was the strangest interview ever. There were 13 candidates for 1 position and we were all interviewed at the same time by a panel of 9. It was exactly like speed dating...they sat us in chairs with a chair facing us and the panel of 9 went clockwise around the room and were given about 10 mins with each candidate. To make it even worse there were more of us than there were of them so some of us had to be doubled up....yes, that's right. I interviewed with the competition sitting right next to me listening to me answer my questions while I listened to her answer hers. For the record...I hated it. I feel like you have to make some what of a connection in an interview to stand out above the rest and this type of environment didn't really give you the chance for that...especially those of us that didn't get any "alone" time with the interviewers.