RED flags to look for when interviewing

I had a few I went through when interviewing for Travel RN positions.

1. What is the orientation process? Will I have one preceptor I follow, or is a new one picked each day?

This tells a lot, shows things related to the question plus more. First thing to watch is whether they have an answer or just say "Whatever works". If they've put no thought into orientation, you have to wonder what other " small details" (sarcasm) has escaped them. I had one DON so caught off guard by this question, she became defensive and short with me. I took a position at that hospital, but a different unit. This opens the door to discuss what works best for you. Many managers said it can be done either way. This left me being able to choose my training schedule, yet get someone different each time or....same preceptor but I have to follow their schedule.

2. How is the charge nurse role handled?

Some places pick a charge nurse for each shift out of the pool of nurses there. Others make charge nurse its own job title, and only charge nurses fill the role. I prefer the later. Too often, when the role is assigned to whoever each shift, it means you have a full assignment plus must take on extra duties. I had, on occasion, negotiated not being appointed charge nurse at some facilities.

3. Do you have a sign up sheet if someone is looking for OT?

Don't ask this because you want OT, even if you do. What you want is to observe the sheet. See tons of openings? That means they are running short. Every line to sign up for OT that has no signature beside it is a shift running short. Look at the same sheet for CNA's if its right there too.

This goes along with your mass hiring statement, but I would like to add the amount of experience the nurses on the unit have. For example: if every nurse has less than one year of experience, that is questionable to me. It can usually be found out if you are asked to do a share day and you get to "shadow" a staff nurse.

^^^omg this applies so well to my last job. The vast majority of the staff had

many nights the most experienced person on the unit was the NP and we came to them with issues we should have been able to go to the charge nurse with, except our charge nurses had maybe 6 mos more experience. The NPs would get stressed because they had their own jobs to do.

This goes along with your mass hiring statement, but I would like to add the amount of experience the nurses on the unit have. For example: if every nurse has less than one year of experience, that is questionable to me. It can usually be found out if you are asked to do a share day and you get to "shadow" a staff nurse.

This right here.

8. Does the unit send nurses to continuing education seminars and does the hospital provide tuition reimbursement?

9. How are meal breaks scheduled and who is responsible for monitoring my assigment during my break?

10. Do you have self scheduling?

If the manager can not answer a direct question such as these it is a huge red flag.

A big red flag is arriving at your interview 20 minutes early and have the manager come out to greet you and say, " I was getting worried about you. I hope you didn't get lost."

To which I responded, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was late. My understanding was that the interview was scheduled at 10:30."

Her response... "Yes, that is the time scheduled for it." She then proceed to whisk me away to her office and continue as if nothing happened.

Worst micromanager I ever had.

Interviewers at facilities that suffer from the Warm-Body Syndrome will conduct interviews that consist of the following questions:

1. How long have you been a nurse?

2. When can you start this job?

3. So you really have to give your current employer a two-week notice?

4. Is there any chance you can start orientation with us a little sooner?

(Yes, I've been asked these questions by desperate interviewers in the past).

Oh yes, forgot about #3.

I've had someone hint to me that they already have my current employers reference so, a notice to them "Is no longer mandatory".

It was at that point I realized I had made a mistake. I ended up taking a different job with a less than desirable commute. And that one had no issues with me respecting a notice with the former employer.

We live in such a small world too. Just short of a year later, I was precepting a new hire. She had told the DON she wanted to be treated like a new grad. Guess where her 8 months of experience were from. Yep, the employer who told me notices weren't mandatory.

Apparently, conditions there were deplorable. The reason she was leaving: She gave them about a months notice of the date she was taking boards. This was before the new schedule was coming out. New schedule came out on Monday, boards scheduled for Tuesday. She was expected to work Mon into Tues night shift, 12 hrs. She pointed out the mistake (she had requested Mon and Tues off) and they suggested she reschedule her boards lol.

When she, understandably, called off Mon, they wrote her up.