SleeplessNCA

Hi-Desert Medical Center www.hdmc.org I applied back in December and they called me the beginning of the this month for an interview. They may be :)

I have a question that hopefully somebody could help me with, I was offered a position last Monday for a new grad ER position. The nurse manager said that she was going to forward my paperwork to HR, and somebody should be contacting me next week, today is the beginning of next week. How long should I wait before I make a call to HR to follow up on my paperwork?

Thank you. I thought that was a good question to ask as well, and I'm glad she did. Because when I was filling out the application I made sure all my phone numbers and references were up to date, and I if she wouldn't have asked that question, I probably wouldn't have called my previous supervisor, ha! He had just changed positions 3 weeks ago too! I'm just glad it all worked out. I agree with about info not being updated, it can be frustrating.

Thank you for responding to my post. I found out yesterday I got the job!!! I am so excited (and nervous) about being a ER nurse. I just wanted to make sure I was on the right track, evidently I was

Got the call today offering me the ER position. I am so excited the wait was less than I thought it was going to be. I am very excited, should be starting in about 2 weeks.

Hi everybody! Well, the torturous waiting is over. I got the call this morning and was offered the position in the ER. I am estatic about this and nervous, I just want to do my best.

Congratulations on your new job!!! :ancong!::w00t: I wish you all the best with your dream job. Still waiting here to find out if I got hired, had my interview on Tues, I was told I wouldn't find out til the end of next week...OOOOooooo this is going to be a long week.

I had my interview in the ER yesterday. I think I did ok, not sure. Does anybody else feel like they blew it with their interviews? The manager asked me basic questions like, why do you want to work at our hospital? what can you offer us, why should we pick you? Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs? Pt comes in with CP how do you treat? Strengths and weakness? Most challenging situation you had been in? I had a total of 3 nurses interviewing me, we all smiled and laughed at times, and sometimes they talked as if I had the job, but I never let that go to my head, cause just as I thought the manager says, well we are interviewing other nurses and we'll make a decision at the end of next week, I'll contact you. I did send out my thank you card right after the interview, I went to the post office and wrote it out and mailed it. Although I do have one question...she did ask a question "If I were to contact your previous employer, what would he tell me about you" I answered positively and honestly. But I got to thinking, I filled out that application in December and I was just called for the interview last week, so this morning I called my previous hospital and found out that my manager still works at that hospital but on a different unit. I small talked with hiim and told him about my interview and he told me to give the manager that interviewed me his personal cell #. After talking with him, I called her office and left her a voice mail letting her know that I needed to update my application regarding my previous employer to a different phone # and if she needed to contact him, this was the number to reach him at. I was very professional and offering information, just in case she did make that call.......I just wonder to anybody who reads this.....does what I did sound desperate or pushy? or was it completely ok to do, I just don't want to blow my chances....any advice would be helpful. So in case I didn't get this job......I can learn from my mistakes and try better next time.

Hi All and Good Morning I had my first RN job interview yesterday. During the interview the nurse manager asked "If I were to call your previous employer what would he tell me about you?" I answered that question to the best of my ability, honestly and positively. That question got me thinking after the interview. When I applied for this position back in late December, my previous employer was still there in that unit, I called the previous hospital I worked for and asked for my previous manager, low and behold he moved units!!! So I rang him up in his office, we small talked for a bit, then I told him I had an interview in a ER and told him about the question she asked, and he chuckled he said, here is my personal cell, give her that I want to give you a stellar reference. I called her extension and left a message that I wanted to update my application regarding my previous employer, and give her his correct office number, since I filled out the application back in December and he was no longer at the number I gave, also that I spoke with him and he wanted me to give her his personal cell number if she was to call him for a reference. So, my question is....did I do the right thing? or was it over the top and too forward? I really want this position, and does it show with what I did respectfully or do I look desperate? I did send my thank you note out last night after my interview, so she should be getting it tomorrow. I was told that she would make her decision by the end of next week. I just have never done anything like that before and I'm a tad nervous about it.

Good luck with your ICU interview tomorrow!! I worked in an ICU for 6 yrs as a secretary/tech. I loved working there, you see alot and learn alot. It's easy to practice in the mirror, but when you are faced with somebody deciding your fate, you feel like a deer in the headlights. I kept in mind not to "ummm" and "ah" during my interview, I answered as honestly as I could. My questions were very basic and valid ones, no curve balls. Regarding the thank you notes, I sent a handwritten thank you card (put it in the mail today) every thing I have read about interviews says to send one, I would do the personal touch one, and hand write it and mail it out the same day as your interview, the rule of thumb is to have it sent out within 24 hours of your interview. It can't hurt anything and when the time comes to decision time, your note may make you stand out from the rest. Let us know how you did and what the outcome is, I won't know my outcome til late next week. The waiting is torture!!!

I am so trying to keep positive. Thank you for your kinds words. I just finished writing my thank you note so she'll get it either Thurs or Friday. I hope I get the job too. ER is where my heart is at.

Today I had my very first interview as a RN. It was in the ER. Does anybody else feel like they blew it on their interviews? Never at any time did I think I had it in the bag (HA!) During the interview the director conducting it would talk to me as if I had the job, but I never let it get to my head. Then at the end she states "you know we are interviewing other nurses, why should we choose you over the others?" It was a totally valid question, I just feel like I blew it. AAAGGGGH!!! During the interview the 3 nurses seemed impressed with some of my answers and we even laughed a couple of times. I just feel like I could have done better, maybe I'm just being hard on myself. They asked me general questions like: What was the most challenging position you have been in ? Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs?Your strengths? Your weaknesses? Person comes in with CP what do you do? Why should we hire you? If I contacted your previous employer, what would he tell me about you? What makes you want to work at this hospital? Then she opened up the floor to me, so I could ask questions...which I asked like 5.....they seemed pretty impressed that I had questions. I won't find out til the end of next week whether I have a job or not. This is going to just as horrible as waiting to see if I passed the boards. Anybody have advice, words of encouragement, a similar story? I said alot of positive things about myself and they smiled alot at me and were very nice.....I just don't know what to make of it.

Thank you for your advice. It just makes me feel better to hear others experiences. If I can personally prevent myself walking into a blind situation without doing research and asking questions, I do! I do have some knowledge of ER work, clearly from a non nurse stand point. One as a volunteer in the ER, secondly I worked in an ICU for 10 years and we worked very closely with the ER and frequented the dept alot, I just love the dynamics of how things work, things aren't as meticulous, more like organized chaos, and I work great in those environments. As for the certifications I took ACLS and PALS....the others I believe are TNCC and ENCP.

How did your interview go? I have an ED interview on Tues.

Hi All :wink2: I was wondering if anybody could offer a new grad some advice about interviewing with an ED? Or just some overall advice in general about interviewing. This is my very FIRST interview for a RN position. I do already possess my ACLS and PALS certifications. I am certain there will be more certifications to come. I am happy, excited but very nervous too. I have been told by other nurses and a nurse practitioner that I have met in my certification classes that I possess great critical thinking skills and have common sense. I am just always hard on myself. Due to the economy being so bad jobs for new grads have been horrible. I took my state boards in Sept '08, I didn't work right away due to my husband being deployed to Iraq and with 3 kids to look after, starting a new RN job, being mom and dad to the kids, and dinners, sports, playtime, and ME time, to me that would have been suicide! So, I spent my time taking the certification classes and reading nursing info. Looking back hindsight because of the jobs for new grads now......I should have worked right away.....but, I made my choice and can't change anything. I just have to look at the positive that I now have this great opportunity, and it came like a gift from heaven! I really don't want to mess it up, any advice, any tips would be helpful and so appreciative. ER nursing is my first love and it would be a dream to work in one.