Published
First year is stressful -I am about to start it myself, and I have read the hundreds of posts on threads that describe this.
I had 3 interviews this week myself.
I found some helpful ideas for interview questions. What is the nurse turn over rate? AND How long has the person been a manager of the unit? And if it is short term, how many prior?
I heard that alot of management turnover is a sign of a troublesome unit, that you may want to stay away from.
Best wishes :)
I would ask about:
*orientation (how much/with who)
*turnover
*how many regular staff versus travelers/registry (lots of travelers and registry is often a sign of high turnover)
*ask for a copy of job description
*any additional certifications required for that unit? (ACLS, PALS, etc.)
*scheduling (self scheduling or scheduled by manager?)
*staffing matrix for various shifts...ask about RN to pt ratio but also ask about whether there will be a unit secretary, charge nurse...does charge take an assignment?...how many CNAs, LVNs...if LVNs present, how many pts would you have to be responsible for as an RN?
*What type of charting (paper/computerized, etc?)
*Do they hold regular unit/staff meetings?
*ask for a tour of the unit (will give you a feel for the energy & layout of the unit)
*floating (ask what their policy is on that...as a new nurse when would you be required to float to other units & to which units)
*do they offer shift differential (extra pay for pm or noc shift)
Good luck! :balloons:
one2one
34 Posts
I have an interview for a job. What are good questions I should ask the nurse manager who will be interviewing me?