Preparing for a phone interview

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I graduated in 2009, but the problem is I have no recent nursing experiences. I am licensed to practice as an
RN
in Ontario. I have a phone interview coming up this week with a Winnipeg hospital for a
RN
position in the Surgical Relief Team (SRT). I am really looking forward to speaking with the recruiter as I would like to know more about the unit and the hospital.

I was wondering how should I prepare for my first phone interview as I am really nervous and unfamiliar with it. Also, what type of questions should I ask to the recruiter about the hospital in a different province? What questions should I ask to help me decide on relocating to a new city? I don't want to feel that I left out any important information after the interview...I also use "ums, ughs, etc." a lot, when I stumble on words and then I get nervous. Any advice would help! Thank you
:nurse:

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Specializes in NICU, Nursery.

I think it would just be similar with a one-on-one interview if you ever had one before. It would help if you research about the job and the company beforehand and write all your questions so that when that call comes, you're prepared and won't stutter nervously. Remember to be confident too. ;)

Congratulations and good luck!

:)

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Specializes in Peds.

Which hospital are you interviewing for? I worked in Winnipeg for many years so maybe I can help.

When you're having your interview and you feel an "um" or and "errr" coming up, just pause. Don't say anything until the urge passes, which will only be a matter of a few seconds. It doesn't matter if you're in the middle of a sentence, just pause.

Remember too that with a phone interview the parties have no nonverbal cues to assess each other with. That can be a mixed blessing. I was interviewed over the phone for my current job and it went very well. If they ask you something and you don't understand what it is they want to know, don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

As for questions about the hospital and the unit, you should ask about practical things, like what the ratio of senior to junior staff is, and what level of acuity the patients meet. You should ask about orientation and how long you'll have, how they choose preceptors and whether they have a formal mentorship program. Ask too about public transit and parking! Winnipeg doesn't have a light rail transit system, just the bus.

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Thank you neonatal_nurse =) I will definitely prepare my questions and possible answers ahead of time.

Pedi-Gree: I will be interviewing for hospital Health Sciences Centre. Oh yes, those are very important questions, especially when it will be my first job (hopefully) away from home. Thank you.

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Specializes in Peds.

The Health Sciences Centre is an inner-city university hospital and the largest trauma centre in the province. It's comprised of the General Hospital, Women's Hospital, the Rehabilitation and Respiratory Hospital, Cancer Care Manitoba and Children's Hospital. It covers an area of about 35 acres, with a mix of old and new buildings. A person could find their niche in pretty much any specialty area they want to there. The surgery programme is high-acuity due to the nature of the hospital, being a trauma centre and also because they are a referral centre for the whole province. They have a cardiac sciences programme and a transplant programme as well. The Surgical ICU is very busy.

One nice thing about HSC is that it's pretty central so you could live almost anywhere in the city and only have a short commute. We lived about 15 minutes from the hospital in an upper-middle class neighbourhood; parking is a bit of an issue there because of the hospital's location but I'm told they've built more parking into the campus since I left. Housing is quite affordable in Winnipeg. Property taxes are a bit steep but it balances out with cheaper utilities. There's lots to do in Winnipeg, too. They have a symphony orchestra, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, , a professional hockey team, a CFL football team, a professional baseball team, some of the best curlers in the world, Festival du Voyageur... and one of Playboy's 10 best beaches for pretty women only an hour's drive away. Camping in the Whiteshell is another great feature, as is the opportunity for cross-border shopping. There are definitely worse places to live.

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Thank you so much for a wonderful detailed description of the hospital! I really appreciate it. Winnipeg downtown seems to have a lot of different activities to do, so I'm sure it would keep me busy and entertained.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Congratulations!

So, you need a place to live. Do you know that Lion's Manor is a seniors' residence? It's about four blocks from the nearest Safeway store, and about nine from the hospital. That'd be a really cold walk in the winter! It's also on the edge of a rather skeevy neighbourhood. I wouldn't want a child of mine living there.

Are you planning to drive or take transit? And how much do you want to pay for housing? Have a look here: Apartments Winnipeg - Find Winnipeg apartments and condos for rent for furnished apartments close to downtown that aren't roach motels.

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Thank you janfrn for the insight, I will check that website out. I will be taking the transit, but I am hoping to find a place that is walking distance (10mins) near HSC. I am looking to pay anywhere between $600-$900.

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