JKRN1717

Hi Keri (and everyone else!), It is so reassuring seeing this post. I also just finished my new graduate program and have been permanently hired on a Cardiac PCU. It's a great hospital and fantastic unit with wonderful nurses and support but the stress and anxiety really wears on me. I have good days but there seem to be more stressful days. At the end of the day I try to think of all the things that went well and pat myself on the back for making it through another day. I ask the other nurses if I am fallling behind and if this is where I am supposed to be and they all laugh and remind me that I have only been on my own for a few weeks and it takes at least a year to be comfortable! I also talk to the other new grads in the cohort before me and they reassure me that it does get better. Some days are really bad and when I get home I'm in the most terrible mood. My husband advises that this moment is not the time to decide the fate of my nursing career and to re-evaluate things after rest. I always feel better on my days off and always schedule myself to have 2 or 3 days off in between, never working 3 in a row. I am also always tired and want to sleep in but I make myself get up and go to yoga or for a run which relieves much stress. The day before I go back my anxiety starts kicking in high gear, for instance right now I feel stressed as I go back tomorrow and it doesn't help that The Joint Commission is at my hospital this week...eek!. Anyway, I hope this horrible feeling and anxiety subsides soon, I know I want to be a nurse and I just need to be patient with myself. When I get stressed and think I'm not meant to be a nurse, I read over the patient comments my manager received about me from my former patients and gave me and it makes me realize this is what I am supposed to be doing. I just wanted to thank you all for your commentary, especially you Keri, because I feel the same way. It's nice to have this support system to confirm I am not alone )

hi nurserr, so when i applied to sharp last july, i completed the online application and answered the supplemental questions as best i could. really take the time to think your answers through and give plenty of examples and details. also, i made sure my resume and cover letter were up to date and accurate, with all clinicals including places i did my clinicals and hours per clinical, volunteer experience and externship. make sure your cover letter expresses your desire to work for the hospital and use their words or key terms (i.e. list their qualities, core values, mission statement, and state these are qualities and goals you also embody and demonstrate). finally, i prepared like heck for my phone interview and to make sure i would rock it! i made sure when i had my phone interview i was alone and would be uninterrupted. i had my supplemental application and resume sitting in front of me in case i needed to refer to it but i made sure to practice practice practice to be prepared! ) if you get a face to face, make sure you have three letters of references, 2 from clinical instructors and one from your externship. make a little portfolio including resumes, cover letters, evaluations, etc and make plenty of copies for anyone in the interview. finally, i wouldn't have thought to do this but my new grad manager mentioned that when she was doing her last round of new grad interviews with the cohort after mine, it wouldn't have been nice for candidates to attach a photo so she could remember who they were later. some people say no photo but that's just what she mentioned. good luck! ) oh and one more thing, always send personal thank you cards!!! i sent one to the hr recruiter after my phone interview which she mentioned she loved when she called me back for my face to face interview and then send thank you cards to each person interviewing you. make sure to add a personal note about something your remember from each interviewer so you don't look so generic and they see you were really paying attention and are interested!

Thanks! ) I'm sure you will do great! Let me know if you have any other questions ) Keep us updated!

Hi New Grad RN, I interviewed with Scripps last July. All of the external candidate interviews were held on the same dayin one large conference room. There were several tables set up with managers from each unit per table to interview...While candidates were interviewing, the rest of us were able to watch them...I have to say it was a little distracting and extra nerve wracking...it was also very loud...maybe that was part of the interview test! LOL. Anyway, they did not tell us which unit we would interview with until we got there which didn't leave much opportunity for specific preparation for that particular unit...you just had to be ready to possibly interview in any unit you listed as a preference...if you could remember which ones you put on the app! I ended up interviewing with the Trauma Unit at Scripps Mercy...here is a list of some of the questions they asked (I wrote as many as I could remember down right after!): -Tell me about yourself and your qualities that would make you a good nurse -Would others (such as your faculty and classmates from school) consider you a leader? -Did your classmates at school see you as a person they could go to for help -Tell me about a time, professionally, when you had to be flexible to complete a task/goal...i totally winged this one because I froze so I talked about applying to nursing school and being accepted to such a far campus and having clinicals in different counties but I told her that I wanted so badly to be a nurse I was willing to do anything (morally and ethically of course!) including driving far distances so I made the best of it with carpools, etc, and it paid off...she loved it...and totally related! -On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself as a team player and why? -What would be your ideal job/work environment -If you came across a technical problem (i.e: ekg machine not working) how would you handle the problem: -3 of your strongest qualities/attributes for nursing Here are some additional helpful links: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/interview-questions-88629.html http://www.hospitalsoup.com/medical-job-interviews/practice-interview-questions/ http://www.best-job-interview.com/nurse-interview-questions.html Don't forget to know their mission, vision, and core values inside out, have some relevant questions prepared, bring copies of your resume and letters of recommendation, and before you leave make sure you get their unit and contact info and immediately send your thank you cards! I thought I gave a pretty good interview but unfortunately did not get hired...I think interviewing in Trauma hurt me as they hired more internals for that unit. Either way it all works out in the end...I was offered jobs with the VA Hospital and Sharp Memorial and and and happy to say I am currently in the Sharp Memorial New Grad program which I LOVE so far ) Best of luck to you! Smile, be yourself, and be honest and you will do GREAT!!

Hey everyone! Good luck applying to the next round of Sharp! I am excited to say I was just offered a position yesterday for the November New grad cohort! VERY excited!! Has anyone else been contacted yet? :

WOOHOO! I was offered a job With Sharp Memorial's New Grad Program! )

Nicole, I know it was awhile ago but do you remember what types of questions they asked in the phone interview? I have one Monday and am very nervous! Just want to be prepared. Thankns :)

Did everyone already have their phone interviews? I received the call a month ago and my phone interview is scheduled for Sept 26. How tough is the phone interview? I'm super nervous! Thanks:D

I have no idea! I got the call last Tuesday and they scheduled my phone interview for Sept 26

I just got a call for a phone screening interview...anyone know what they ask?

Hey everyone...I just got a call from Sharp Memorial for a phone screening interview...any tips or advice about what they ask????

Hey Lizard, did you appy to Sharp?

P.S. I took NCLEX this morning...if everyone could please keep their fingers crossed for me?! :o:o

Thanks for the post Foxtrotunicorns. I interviewed in Trauma as well and was super bummed ;o( Oh well, on to bigger and better things right? ;o) Good luck to you!! Keep the positive attitude!

finally got it! ;o(