What questions to ask at interview - New to angency nursing

delphine22 · Apr 11, 2014

Interviewing with an agency is not like interviewing for a staff job, because you're asking about them and how they work, as opposed to the facilities, which could be wildly different. Here's what I always want to know:

1. Who is my main contact? Will it be only one person, or several? How do I contact them, on or off hours? How do you request assignments?

2. Benefits, if that's what you're interested in

3. Minimum work requirements; usually if it's per diem you only need to work one shift in 6 months to remain active, but check to be sure.

4. Salary will depend on the assignment but ask about shift diffs, travel/gas reimbursement, certification pay (rare), etc.

5. If you are local to the area, obviously ask which hospitals they staff.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 12, 2014

Keep in mind that most of the orientation/training that you will get will be facility-specific: "this is our daily routine and here is where the supplies are." If you don't know the basics of the specialty you're applying to, it's very unlikely that they'll teach you. Also, it's pretty normal to get only a shift or two of orientation on the floor before they let you run loose.

Also ask about scheduling requirements: do you have to give them availability for a certain number of days a month, are you being hired for specific shifts only or can you pick up any shift, is there a weekend/holiday obligation, etc.

Ask about the cancellation policy. Policies can vary by facility, but this is typical: if you are calling out, you have to do no later than 2 to 4 hours before the start of the shift to avoid being tagged a no-show. Likewise, if the agency is cancelling you, they need to notify you no later than 2 hours prior to the shift start--otherwise they owe you at least 2 hours' pay.

Ask about non-compete clauses. Also (if you are interested) ask if it's possible to get long-term contracts or permanent positions at facilties.

Good luck.