Preparing for any job interview is nerve-wracking, whether you are a recent graduate looking to start your career, or a professional with a lot of experience, it is important to make a great impression when you are doing a job interview. Here are 10 phone tips for nurses that you could use when you are in an interview:
How do I prepare for a nursing interview?
- Be enthusiastic
Nobody wants to work with a Debby downer. A go-getter attitude could take you a long way.
- Do some research on the hospital or clinic
You could visit your potential employer’s website and learn about their mission and vision so you could be prepared in placing a strong emphasis on being adaptable, flexible, and a team player. To be a little more prepared, you could prepare yourself to speak about how you could support the mission and vision that they have placed.
- Present a polished resume
Create a one-page resume highlighting your educational background, skills, work history, and leadership experience.
- Talk about your technical skills
Mention your technical skills in the interview and create a separate technical summary section so that you could call out your IT training and experiences.
- Dress for success
Despite your uniform being a comfy set of scrubs if you land the job, during the interview, you have to dress sharp. Wear business attire to show them that you are a professional.
How do you stand out in a nursing interview?
- Answer ads quickly, with the right keywords
You should customize your resume and cover letter in a way that includes all the keywords that were mentioned in the advertisement since many organizations screen applications electronically, where they scan for specific words.
- Know Yourself
The greatest advantage you may have is to know what you want and understand the kind of position you aim for. Play with your greatest strengths and improve your weaknesses. Self-assessment does not only consider clinical skills but values and temperament as well.
- Apply for the Positions that are a Good Match for your Skills
Focus your energy on the nursing jobs that you know match your skills, which is why it is important to know yourself in that aspect.
- Prepare the Perfect Resume and Cover Letter
Talk about your past job experiences, even if it is not health-care related, highlight school activities, and all your involvement in your student nursing organization. If you are a seasoned nurse, you could also highlight your enthusiasm, experience, and ability to contribute.
Make sure that you proofread and double-check your resume and cover letter, and use a font that all computers could read before you hit send.
- Prepare for the Interview
Interviews are extremely important since nurse managers need to know that the nurses they are planning to hire have strong problem-solving skills. You should be on time, dress professionally, stand tall, give a strong handshake, make eye contact, and smile. Be prepared to answer their question to the best of your ability and don’t just show up and hope for the best.
- Have Connections
Being comfortable in talking to other people leads to more job placements, especially if you are sharing your goals and aspirations. Attending conferences, career fairs, and professional meetings could help you open more opportunities to further your career and bring you to the path you aim to have.
- Demonstrate Attributes of Being a Team Player
A lot of nursing facilities hire people who fit in well with the facility’s culture, in both their staff and travel nurse candidates. You have to know how to communicate effectively with your patients, physicians, and all the other health team members.
- Show How You Can Bring Value to the Organization
Your potential employers would want to know how nurses can directly act on improving the quality of care, care delivery processes and reduce the cost of care, so one way you could stick out in your interview is by putting yourself in the place of management so that they could easily figure out where your priorities lay.
- Shadow a Nurse
While in the interview, you could ask your employer if you could shadow a nurse in the position that you are considering. This will allow you to get a better feel for the job.
- Keep Studying
Continuing your studies is essential if you want to keep moving upwards. More workplaces are hiring nurses who are BSN prepared, or nurses who are enrolled in RN-to-BSN programs.
Common Nursing Interview Questions:
- Why would you like to work here?
- What are 3 words others would use to describe you?
- What was your most recent position?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Describe a challenging situation and how you handled it to find a resolution.
Your first impressions always last, and in this situation, could even make or break your nursing career. Preparing yourself for your interview is hard, having to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally as well. So, to further your confidence, you could do our research about the things you need to know about healthcare staffing agencies to further explore your possible opportunities.