Interview Guide for Nurses (During the COVID-19 Pandemic)
This is probably a monumental moment for you! You’ve probably landed a RN job interview, but a bit nervous of what kinds of questions they will be asking you. Well, you definitely come to the right blog to read up on some of the basic questions that most nursing leaders ask their interviewees. I hope that you find this post helpful when nearing the process of landing a RN job. I will be going over the ins/outs of what will be asked of you AND- questions that you should be asking them as well! Let’s get started!
To ease some anxiety, I am currently a nursing leader on a medical-surgical unit who actively hires to fulfill our staffing matrix. All of my following tips are all based on my personal experience with interviewing RNs, CNAs, and other nursing assistant personnels. You will encounter different methods from different leaders just in accordance to their experience, therefore, you may find some of the following tips and suggestions not applicable to your interviewer.
Basic Job Interview Professionalism:
For any job interview, it is important to note that the basics stand the same like any other job. You are encouraged to come to your job interview in business casual attire, hair kept neat, and with your resume. I need to stress the importance of bringing your resume. I’ve encountered multiple times where interviewees have failed to provide a resume with the assumption that our recruiters have sent it to us already. At times, this is not the case so always be prepared and bring your resume.
On the day of:
Arrive 15 minutes early
Have multiple copies of your resume
Come professionally dressed.
After the interview:
Send a “thank you” email after your job interview
Wait a week before following up with your recruiter
If you’re reading this article post ahead of time and you are still in the process of creating your resume, feel free to read my article of resume building… click here!
Now to get down to nitty gritty!
Nursing Questions!
This is pretty much how my interviews go...
Questions about yourself and nursing.
Tell me about yourself.
This can be very brief about yourself, your family, your passion. It’s encouraged to have this intro lead on to the next question.
Why nursing?
Is nursing your passion? If so, why? Be honest and brief. Remember to speak to your experiences whether they have occurred during school or clinical. It does not have to be something traumatic… your answer can be very simple. For me, my answer was that because nursing runs in my family. I wouldn’t go over the top to say statements such as “It’s my calling” or “Its my passion.” The why behind that is the focus.
Where do you see yourself 3-5 years from now?
Very self-explanatory. Think of your own professional development and where you see yourself in that pathway. It may be hard to determine this as a new graduate, but I’m sure you have an idea where you want to go eventually.
Why this specialty?
Explain how your experience in the specialty that you’re applying for will play a role in your professional development.
Questions about school and clinical.
Could you think back of a time during your clinical rotation where you escalated a concern to advocate for a patient?
Can be very simple and does not have to be complex.
What was your favorite subject and why?
This question is usually aimed to figure out what your strengths were during nursing school.
Why did you change to nursing? (Only for those who have nursing as a 2nd degree).
This only applies for those who decided to go into nursing as their nursing degree. After being in school for a certain amount of years, this answer will most definitely come to you naturally.
What would be the first thing you do if a patient becomes _____? (A patient scenario question)
This patient scenario should be very simple. My go-to scenario is “what is the first thing you do when you notice someone has a blood sugar of 50.” Your leader at this point should not be asking complex questions as I feel it is not fair to you. But some leaders would like to get a sense of what would you do as a priority, which is why some leaders still ask patient scenarios during interviews.
Questions about healthcare experience.
Do you have any healthcare experience?
If not, it is completely okay! Speak through your clinical rotations and other work experience. At the end of the day, nursing still embodies the concept of customer service like any other occupation.
What was your background?
Questions about work experience.
Think of a time when you had a customer complaint and how did you deal with that situation?
This questioned is geared to explore how you would handle a customer/patient complaint. You should be able to speak through the escalation process.
Do you have any skills that could be useful in your nursing career?
This could be your skills in phlebotomy, Microsoft Office, or technology. Your background can help answer this question.
What questions do you have for me?
Now it’s your turn to ask the questions! Don’t be scared, but at the same time… don’t over-do it. Again… basic interview tips include not asking what your pay will be. This is the time to ask about the unit’s culture, nurse-patient ratios, preceptorship, RN residency program, and clinical advancement.
Interviews During the COVID-19 Pandemic
How has the interview process changed since the COVID-19 pandemic?
Very interesting to say the least. All of the interviews are contact-less, meaning via Zoom or FaceTime. It is definitely much more complex since we don’t technically see each other in person until the first day of hire. In any interview, the three things that I look for are:
Engagement
Commitment
Attitude
Going through the interview process nowadays is twice as hard when reading engagement, commitment, or attitude through facetiming. For our interviewees, it is much harder to show how excited your are. The sense of being in person is no longer there, therefore, you’ll have to find different avenues to show how bad you truly want this opportunity. My number one advice when interviewing via zoom in to be mindful of your facial expressions when answering your questions. You may find yourself smiling a little bit more or forced to look into the screen little longer. The basics still remain the same like any other interview.
On the day of:
Arrive 15 minutes early via Zoom or FaceTime Appointment
Send a copy of your resume
Come professionally dressed (whatever is visible on the screen)
Find a quiet room free from distractions.
Background should be clear from clutter. White background is preferable.
Please caution with using elaborate and funny Zoom backgrounds.
After the interview:
Send a “thank you” email after your job interview
Wait a week before following up with your recruiter
Thank you all so much for reading this article! I hope you found this article helpful for your next interview and interviews to come. For any questions at all, please feel free to leave a comment below or email me directly!
HAPPY NURSING!
