Tele interview Tomorrow. Need your help!

noski · May 2, 2011

When you describe a mistake you made & what you learned from it (on an interview) is a med error appropriate or would you be shooting yourself in the foot?

good question:yeah:, I thought about this too, would love to see the response from others, especially Nurse managers

pers · May 2, 2011

The market is more competitive now than it has been for a while so I'd be prepared to sell yourself not just as a nurse but as a tele nurse. Why do you want to work tele?

And remember, they aren't just interviewing you, this is your chance to interview them too! Ask about their turn over and ratios. How many new grads do they have? There are plenty of horror stories of the most "experienced" nurses being those with barely a year experience, that's not a floor you want to work on! My unit is tough for new grads, if you were interviewing here I'd strongly suggest you ask how many new grads hired in the last year are still here (or how many hired in the last two years remained after a year). What about your work schedule? Will you be expected to work weekends? Will you have 12 or 8 hour shifts? Work nights or days? Will they alter those things without asking you first? Nightshift has a crew of "weekenders" so I only work the occassional weekend but I can be scheduled as often as every other weekend because that's the policy. Our policy also says nightshift workers only have to work nights but dayshift workers can be scheduled days or nights (and that tends to fall to new hires). Telemetry nurses should be ACLS certified, is that something they will provide? How soon should you expect that training? What about the length of your orientation? Will the NM meet with you regularly to check your progress? If you don't feel ready at the end of orientation, is an extension possible? Will you have one preceptor or multiple preceptors? In the event you and your preceptor aren't a good fit, are there other options?

Really think about what you want to know about the unit you are interviewing for, this is your opportunity to find out! Ask if you can speak with a new grad or two. There's no guarantees of course, but the more questions you ask the better decisions you can make about what kind of work environment you are entering.

JRP1120, RN · May 4, 2011

1. i like a suit myself. skirt or pants does not matter. make it neutral. you can't go wrong with navy or black. be conservative with shoes, makeup, jewelry and fingernail length and color.
2. practice is a good idea as long as the people you pick to help you can give you constructive feedback.
3. make sure you take the role of interviewer so you can see what it is like to be one the other side. ask yourself what you want to hear and see.
4. list what you want out of a job. good management? certain hours or benefits? a specialty? a supportive preceptor and a long enough orientation? during the interview you want to see if this is the right job for you as much as they are trying to find out if you are the right person for the position. go after what you want. don't settle.
5. i have heard other people suggest that when they are nervous about performing, they imagine the people in their underwear. that has never worked for me.
what has is something called rational emotive behavior therapy. not to worry, i'm not suggesting you go into therapy. this is something you can do at home by yourself. i have since 1975 when i read the book, a guide to rational living by albert ellis and robert harper. that book is available used on amazon.com for $5.00. this version may not be as easy to read as his more recent books. below is a list and where you can find them. (you will only need one so don't bother to buy all three. look at their table of contents, read some of their pages and pick one that you like the best.)
how to make yourself happy and remarkably less disturbable by albert ellis
available used on amazon.com for $5.00 including shipping
how to control your anxiety before it controls you by albert ellis available used on amazon.com for $10.00 including shipping.
here is a quick explanation of ellis' concept: you have control over your feelings by what you say to yourself.
i teach it to others this way. a + b = c
a = the situation b = what you say to yourself c = your feelings
so your situation is interviewing for your first nursing job.
your feeling is being terrified.
what you are telling yourself to create those feelings? then change those sentences to some that will change your feelings.
the more you do this, the easier it gets. best to you as you become the best nurse you can be.

thank you for all of these suggestions! one of the books arrives today and i'm off in search of a great suit! i appreciate you taking the time to respond :)

JRP1120, RN · May 4, 2011

I wore a suit and tie (all charcoal/black/white) to my interview with HR as well as the nurse manager, both were extremely impressed that I took the effort to dress so professionally (both said they rarely see anybody dress in true professional attire any more).
As far as getting over the jitters- practice makes perfect! Get plenty of nursing interview questions together (you can get plenty from this website, plenty from other websites) and have your friends and family interview you. Take it seriously- dress up, sit across a desk from them, answer like you would in a real interview. You can even have a "panel" of 3-4 of them drill you with the hardest questions you can find. The goal is that you'll become so comfortable interviewing that the interview itself will be just like you've been doing.

Thanks TF for your suggestions! I will be using them to practice! :)

Idaho Murse · May 4, 2011

hello everyone!

Just thought I would toss an update out there. I had my interview it was 1.5 hours long (not sure if that is good or bad) We discussed hypoglycemic patients how you would recognize them, what foods you could give for rapid glucose increase, what I would choose as a long term food to hold them over.

She asked me the difference between new onset A-fib, and chronic a-fib. The types of medications I would expect them to be on. We talked about a patient I had with a GI bleed who was on dopamine. She said my answers were very good and I was able to apply my clinical experience very well.

At the end of my 1.5 hour interview I asked her what the next step was, and when I could expect to hear her decision. She told me that she had to be honest and that she did not like some of my answers. (my jaw hit the floor) She said that when she asked me where I saw myself in 5 years and 10 years she wanted to hear that I would be working on this same tele floor and dedicated to the organization.

I guess I did not know how to interpret this, so I told her the truth. I was going to be working where ever my job was. That I did not plan on moving away from my job. She had said she did not like that I had said I wouldn't mind living in a region (I said I wouldnt mind living in a 3 state area)

So I just reiterated that I wanted this opportunity because I know that I could be successful as a tele nurse on this floor.

Then she said I should have had my ACLS certification. I told her honestly, that the advice I was given was to wait on this because most facilities provide this class free of charge for employees.

Also she mentioned that on the spreadsheet (how they rate applications) I did not stand out very much (again I did not know how to interpret this). So I told her that I appreciated that she gave me the opportunity for the interview and went over why I thought I was qualified for the job.

These comments about my answers were all after she had gave me a tour of the unit, introduced me to the charge nurses, and the staff nurses. And gave me a tour of the critical care unit that was being expanded in the fall.

So after that conversation I asked when I could be notified about on her decision, and she said around 3 weeks.

I guess I am slightly confused by the whole thing. I mean the interview was great in my opinion expect for the last 5-10minutes which left me with my chin on the ground and confused about the whole thing.

Caffeine_IV · May 4, 2011

Sounds like a very intense interview. I've never been asked those questions expect for "where do you see yourself." If you really want the job, I hope that you get it.