Nesher

The second section are the tough ones - the behavior based questions - they require a story or example to answer. Same idea - write outlines and practice. Good luck! Interview Questions1. Tell me about yourself. 2. What is your greatest strength? 3. What can you offer us that no one else can? 4. What are your three most important career accomplishments? 5. How would you describe yourself? 6. Why should I hire you? 7. Describe the biggest crisis in your life (career). 8. What is unique about you? 9. How would your supervisor describe you? 10. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. 11. Tell me a story. 12. How have you benefited from disappointment? 13. What is your greatest weakness? 14. Have you ever been fired or asked to resign? 15. Why have you changed jobs so frequently? 16. Why have you been out of work so long? What have you been doing? 17. What is the biggest mistake you ever made? 18. What are your career goals? 19. What do you want to do in life? 20. How long have you been out of work? 21. What personal, non-job related gals have you set for yourself? 22. Are you willing to relocate? 23. Are you willing to travel overnight? 24. How do you feel about overtime? 25. What have you learned from your past mistakes? What are some of them? 26. What do you think determines a person's progress with a goof company? 27. Who has exercised the greatest influence on you? How? 28. What public figure do you admire most and why? 29. What are your primary activities outside of work? 30. Would you have any concern if we did a full background check on you? What would we find? 31. What qualities do you most admire in people? 32. What have you done to increase your personal development? 33. What type of books and magazines do you read? 34. What was the last book you read (movie you saw) and how did it affect you? 35. How do you feel about your career progress? 36. Can you work well under stress? 37. Do you prefer to work as an individually or as a part of a team? 38. Are you a team player? 39. Tell me about the last incident that made you angry. How did you handle it? 40. What are the things that motivate you? 41. How do you handle people that you really don't get along with? 42. What have you done that shows initiative? 43. What personal qualities are important for success in this field? 44. Sell me this pen. 45. Are you willing to take calculated risks? 46. Describe your perfect job? 47. What is most important to you in a job? 48. Why do you want to change careers? 49. Why do you want to get into this field? 50. Why did you leave your last job? 51. How long will it take before you make a positive contribution to our organization? 52. What do you like least about this position? Most? 53. Tell me about your duties at your present job? 54. What is the most important aspect of your job? 55. Describe a time when you were criticized for your job. 56. What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced? 57. What frustrates you about your job? 58. What jobs have you enjoyed most? Least? Why? 59. What duties have you enjoyed most? Least? Why? 60. What is the worst thing your have ever heard about this organization? 61. What position do you expect to hold in five years? (similar to, Where do you expect to be in 5 years?) 62. Why would you like to work for us? 63. What is opinion of your present (or past) employer? 64. How long would you stay if we offered you this position? 65. What do you know about our company? 66. Why do you want to leave your present employer? 67. Starting with your first job out of college, tell me why you left each organization. 68. What kinds of recommendations will you get from previous employers? 69. Describe your relationship with your last three supervisors. 70. What are your supervisor's strengths and weaknesses? 71. What kind of supervisors do you like most? Least? Why? 72. How has your supervisor helped you grow? 73. What did your supervisor rate you highest on during your last review? Lowest? 74. What kind of supervisor gets the best results out of you? 75. What is your boss like? 76. What actions would you take if you came on board? 77. Can you supervise people? 78. Describe your management philosophy and management style. 79. How many people have you hired? How do you go about it? How successful have the people been? 80. How many people have you fired? 81. How would your subordinates describe you as a supervisor? 82. Some managers watch their employees closely while others use a loose rein. How do you manage? 83. How have you improved as a supervisor over the years? 84. Why did you pick your major? 85. What kind of grades did you have? 86. What course did you like the most? Least? Why? 87. How has your schooling prepared you for this job? 88. Do you feel you did the best work at school that you were capable of doing? 89. How did your summer jobs benefit you? Some Behavior Based QuestionsTell me about a time when you: 1. Achieved a great deal in a short amount of time. 2. Were disappointed in your performance. 3. Made a major sacrifice to achieve a work goal. 4. Were unwilling or unable to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal. 5. Worked effectively under a great deal of pressure. 6. Didn't handle a stressful situation very well. 7. Really got angry over a situation at work. 8. Felt under a great deal of pressure from an internal or external customer. 9. Were really bothered by the actions of a coworker. 10. Were especially creative in solving a problem. 11. Were not as creative as usual. 12. Organized and planned an event that was successful. 13. Planned and coordinated a project that was very successful. 14. Were unable to complete a project on schedule despite your best efforts. 15. Really had to remain flexible. 16. Had to deal with a personality conflict with a boss or coworker. 17. Were unable to sell your idea to a key person. 18. Felt really good about a decision you made and the process you went through. 19. Were very effective in your problem-solving ability. 20. Used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation. 21. Utilized your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had been strong opposition. 22. Were able to build team spirit during a time of low morale. 23. Were able to gain commitment from others to really work as a team. 24. Used your political savvy to push through a program you believed in. 25. Were particularly perceptive regarding a person's or group's feelings and needs. 26. Were able to predict someone's behavior or response based on your assessment of him or her. 27. Were particularly supportive and reassuring to a person who needed a friend. 28. Built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions. 29. Wrote a report which was well received by others. 30. Were particularly effective at prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule. 31. Identified potential problems and resolved the situation before the problems became serious. 32. Were highly motivated and your example inspired others. 33. Found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things others did not want to hear. 34. Were particularly effective in a talk you gave or a seminar you taught. 35. Had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted. 36. Had to make a decision you knew would be unpopular. Were in a situation when events and circumstances changed rapidly.

Bottom line - follow your hospitals policy and procedure - which by the way your preceptor should go over with you prior to doing new things like hanging blood!!!

An assistant to the physican love the ones who do not correct patients who call them doc...

Thanks for your comments. When I started Avonex in Jan 1998, I would spike a temp of 102, aching, etc., however now I just get achy and 3 Advils take care of it. SO I am worried about feeling that way three times a week instead of one. I am trying to understand how one is supposed to sleep through the flu at night? I certainly understand the concept... I know Ribif has a proven track record, but I am having difficulty deciding to further complicate my life with this regimen.

Cord blood has not yet been proven to be better than a stem cell transplant. It is being researched of course. I had a patient for the last two weeks who had a double cord blood transplant (one wasn't enough cells) - this person is engrafting slowly but over all isn't much different than one of our regular transplants. The reason as I understand it that parents save the cord blood of their babies is because it is so rich in stem cells and they are banking it for the future. It isn't cheap however so many folks donate it.

Has anyone here at allnurses made a switch from Avonex to Rebif? I'm concerned about the injection site reactions - is it a myth or reality? Did the flu like symptoms come back with the change? Tell me about your experience good or bad....

Best way to combat nervousness is to be prepared. Following are questions I took from the book Interview Power by Tom Washington. Idea is to wirte out a brief answer to each question, so you'll have an answer - don't memorize, just the highlihgts so you can recall the answer. The second section are behavioral questions and each one requires a story to answer it - so once again have the story in mind so you can pull it up from the memory bank when you need it. good luck! QUESTIONS 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. What is your greatest strength? 3. What can you offer us that no one else can? 4. What are your three most important career accomplishments? 5. How would you describe yourself? 6. Why should I hire you? 7. Describe the biggest crisis in your life (career). 8. What is unique about you? 9. How would your supervisor describe you? 10. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10. 11. Tell me a story. 12. How have you benefited from disappointment? 13. What is your greatest weakness? 14. Have you ever been fired or asked to resign? 15. Why have you changed jobs so frequently? 16. Why have you been out of work so long? What have you been doing? 17. What is the biggest mistake you ever made? 18. What are your career goals? 19. What do you want to do in life? 20. How long have you been out of work? 21. What personal, non-job related gals have you set for yourself? 22. Are you willing to relocate? 23. Are you willing to travel overnight? 24. How do you feel about overtime? 25. What have you learned from your past mistakes? What are some of them? 26. What do you think determines a person's progress with a goof company? 27. Who has exercised the greatest influence on you? How? 28. What public figure do you admire most and why? 29. What are your primary activities outside of work? 30. Would you have any concern if we did a full background check on you? What would we find? 31. What qualities do you most admire in people? 32. What have you done to increase your personal development? 33. What type of books and magazines do you read? 34. What was the last book you read (movie you saw) and how did it affect you? 35. How do you feel about your career progress? 36. Can you work well under stress? 37. Do you prefer to work as an individually or as a part of a team? 38. Are you a team player? 39. Tell me about the last incident that made you angry. How did you handle it? 40. What are the things that motivate you? 41. How do you handle people that you really don't get along with? 42. What have you done that shows initiative? 43. What personal qualities are important for success in this field? 44. Sell me this pen. 45. Are you willing to take calculated risks? 46. Describe your perfect job? 47. What is most important to you in a job? 48. Why do you want to change careers? 49. Why do you want to get into this field? 50. Why did you leave your last job? 51. How long will it take before you make a positive contribution to our organization? 52. What do you like least about this position? Most? 53. Tell me about your duties at your present job? 54. What is the most important aspect of your job? 55. Describe a time when you were criticized for your job. 56. What is the most difficult situation you have ever faced? 57. What frustrates you about your job? 58. What jobs have you enjoyed most? Least? Why? 59. What duties have you enjoyed most? Least? Why? 60. What is the worst thing your have ever heard about this organization? 61. What position do you expect to hold in five years? (similar to, Where do you expect to be in 5 years?) 62. Why would you like to work for us? 63. What is opinion of your present (or past) employer? 64. How long would you stay if we offered you this position? 65. What do you know about our company? 66. Why do you want to leave your present employer? 67. Starting with your first job out of college, tell me why you left each organization. 68. What kinds of recommendations will you get from previous employers? 69. Describe your relationship with your last three supervisors. 70. What are your supervisor's strengths and weaknesses? 71. What kind of supervisors do you like most? Least? Why? 72. How has your supervisor helped you grow? 73. What did your supervisor rate you highest on during your last review? Lowest? 74. What kind of supervisor gets the best results out of you? 75. What is your boss like? 76. What actions would you take if you came on board? 77. Can you supervise people? 78. Describe your management philosophy and management style. 79. How many people have you hired? How do you go about it? How successful have the people been? 80. How many people have you fired? 81. How would your subordinates describe you as a supervisor? 82. Some managers watch their employees closely while others use a loose rein. How do you manage? 83. How have you improved as a supervisor over the years? 84. Why did you pick your major? 85. What kind of grades did you have? 86. What course did you like the most? Least? Why? 87. How has your schooling prepared you for this job? 88. Do you feel you did the best work at school that you were capable of doing? 89. How did your summer jobs benefit you? SOME BEHAVIOR BASED QUESTIONS Tell me about a time when you: 1. Achieved a great deal in a short amount of time. 2. Were disappointed in your performance. 3. Made a major sacrifice to achieve a work goal. 4. Were unwilling or unable to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve a goal. 5. Worked effectively under a great deal of pressure. 6. Didn't handle a stressful situation very well. 7. Really got angry over a situation at work. 8. Felt under a great deal of pressure from an internal or external customer. 9. Were really bothered by the actions of a coworker. 10. Were especially creative in solving a problem. 11. Were not as creative as usual. 12. Organized and planned an event that was successful. 13. Planned and coordinated a project that was very successful. 14. Were unable to complete a project on schedule despite your best efforts. 15. Really had to remain flexible. 16. Had to deal with a personality conflict with a boss or coworker. 17. Were unable to sell your idea to a key person. 18. Felt really good about a decision you made and the process you went through. 19. Were very effective in your problem-solving ability. 20. Used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation. 21. Utilized your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had been strong opposition. 22. Were able to build team spirit during a time of low morale. 23. Were able to gain commitment from others to really work as a team. 24. Used your political savvy to push through a program you believed in. 25. Were particularly perceptive regarding a person's or group's feelings and needs. 26. Were able to predict someone's behavior or response based on your assessment of him or her. 27. Were particularly supportive and reassuring to a person who needed a friend. 28. Built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions. 29. Wrote a report which was well received by others. 30. Were particularly effective at prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule. 31. Identified potential problems and resolved the situation before the problems became serious. 32. Were highly motivated and your example inspired others. 33. Found it necessary to tactfully but forcefully say things others did not want to hear. 34. Were particularly effective in a talk you gave or a seminar you taught. 35. Had to make an important decision quickly even though you did not have all the information you wanted. 36. Had to make a decision you knew would be unpopular. Were in a situation when events and circumstances changed rapidly.

There are tons of threads on this subject - do a search.

What is a PCA position? I'm afraid for many of us, a PCA is "patient controlled analgesia"...

If the nurse is about to launch into a long description or explanation I don't need, than I tell them I'm a nurse to save them the time and effort.

Boy does this sound familiar! I had a CI who took me aside and questioned my deisre to be a nurse and basically told me I wasn't cut out for it as well. I of course "showed " her how wrong she was and in many ways took great satisfaction from that. Perhpas that was waht she was after all along? At any rate - cry today but get back on the horse tomorrow. YOu sound like you are very intuitive which is a great asset. As far as a place to go where you can be sensitive? I love oncology and I cry all the time there....

Insulin gtts on the floor - get lots of them in stem cell transplant land as they are on TPN and often steroids for GVHD. Usually q 1 as on top of the TPN and 'roids they are receiving multiple antibiotics mixed in D5W - biggest PIA is when they are in contact or even worse droplet isolation! Thank God for hickmans!

That I care for them as I would want to be cared for - with humor, respect, empathy, intelligence, care, diligence and the ability to be a human.

I've been a nurse a long time and perhaps that is the problem:) But what exactly is an MDS nurse? MDS for me is a myleodysplasic syndrome which I'm guessing this is not what you are writing about....

Death is not a horrible thing. It can be very peacful. When and if the organs start shuting down can be a blessing. Slipping into a coma is a quiet event. Folks lose interest in food and drink and in conversation - or they might stare intently around the room. I have had people who are dying tell me there are people in the room - people they knew. It is comforting for them as if these spirits have come as escorts. ( I know this sounds weird, but death isn't something out of a text book) I hope your Dad is getting what he needs for pain control. Hospice nurses are experts at this so if he is having pain - please have them adjust - there is NO NEED for pain when one is dying. If the tumor is pressing on his heart he might go suddenly with a heart attack... it is hard to tell. While I haven't watched my own parents die I have seen and been with many who have - I always feel priviledged to be a part of something so profound and misunderstood. There is no road map for this - your Dad is going to go pretty much when he is ready to. Does this help?

Interesting to read everyones replies. I work on a stem cell transplant unit and I guess because we've been doing them longer than anyone else in the country we aren't quite as severe. It may also be that because we treat all the pt's the same and can enforce rules for the entire unit. Large floor signs warn that noone can enter if ill. For example everyone must sign in as they enter the floor - visitors, dietary, families, doc, nurses, etc - what they are attesting to is that that have no s/s of the flu. They and we as staff are not allowed to come to work if we have a fever or cannot control our symptoms (runny nose, cough). Our dietary dept treats the food our pts get differntly than the rest of the hosptial. They wash fruits and veggies and to be honest I don't know exactly how they do this, but as result they can have it - salads come up wrapped as does fruit( in saran wrap). There are alot of things they cannot have such as sprouts. We change our water pitchers daily for everyone. If someone wants ice we don't take the pitcher into the nourishment room, we fill a plastic bag with ice and bring it into the room. Only staff is allowed in the nourishment room. Our pts don't wear masks unless they have have s/s of cold. At which point they go into droplet isolation (masks with shield gown gloves) for people entering room, we sent a npt to test for flu. They are in isolation for 5 days until the results come back. Contact isolation is used for cdiff, VRE, MRSA. We start folks on levo or ceftazidime when their counts drop below 500. At the first neutropenic fever (38.3) we do cultures of their hickmans, urine and chest xray - the antibiotic is then changed - not to vanco first thing - usually to something like imipenum. Our entire unit has a policy of no flowers, plants, fake flowers with moss etc. This policy is something they are aware of before they are admitted. Kids of all ages are allowed but they will get htier little hands washed and even be put in a gown ( they kinda love this !) - they don't last long in the room but it better than cutting off the pt. Alcohol based cleaner with moisturizer is very popular with the group as well.

I am curious - you wrote that you haven't gotten to the horrible part yet. What will you consider the horrible part? What exactly are you envisioning? Might be able to help with that....

Do it you won't regret it. I have been in onc for 17 yesrs, the first ten with gyn onc pts and the the last seven in stem cell transplant. I adore the cutting edge aspects of transplant and i love the relationships I develop with pt and thier families. If that sort of thing appeals to you - the relationship aspect -this is the place for you. If you would prefer to not get attached - run in the other direction.

WHile I have no doubt this is a real issue, the one person I know who claims to have it seems to trot it out when it is handy, and doesn't seem too consistent with it. For example this person lives a block away from a shipbuilding co. - fiberglass scent in the air all the time - yet it doesn't bother her. Oh no but when we put a potta potty on our property (no house yet)( kitty corner to her but with very large non city type lots) she had a hissy fit when she saw it - she hadn't smelled it yet but she was overwroght about the chemicals in them...please. I won't get into it any further, but I must say there seems to be an element of psych stuff....

1 -b 2 - e 3 -b

We use a system that while not perfect is OK. The first draft everyone puts in their hours. It is a 28 day schedule. We are allowed to make 4 "R's" or requests on any one 28 day period without having to ask for vacation time. So the first draft gets typed out and comes back to everyone for revisions. The idea is that you at this point make changes to help even out the numbers needed for each day. For each draft we have about 10 days or so to work on it. after the seocnd draft it goes away and the final tweeking of the numbers to assure adequate staff are done by one of the assitant nurse managers - so it is to our advantage to make sure it works well and she doesn't get to move folks around. I suggest you look at other units in your hospital for more guidelines to see what others have been doing.

Poorly!

I think llg had a good point regarding the types of short staffed places that find themselves in need of travelers. However you sound like you are at a crossroads and trying to decide if perhaps burning burgers at McDonalds is preferable to bedside nursing? If that is the case take a break, but bear in mind that all hospitals and units are not the same. I practice a type of nursing that has taken me years to find (PM me if you want to know where) - I make a difference every day. I have time with my pt's and their families. Is it ideal? No... nothing is, but at least I feel like I am able to give quality care and take time with each person. I don't feel like a chicken with my head cut off. Perhaps you want some further education so you can see options?

What if you have both?

Question: why have you changed jobs twice in your first year? This may well be contributing to your distress. One aspect of nursing is becoming comfortable at some level with what you know and don't know. If you keep switching you aren't able to get there. Some places do just throw you to the wolves and clearly don't care to mentor you thorugh this beginning process. Perhaps you need yet another job - but you need to pick carefully, looking for a place that will walk you through with folks to help, answer questions and talk.