On the spot today...
Today I had an interview up at the Med Center for a position on the Solid Organ Transplant unit.
My friends, this is an *intense* unit.
This was also...an *intense* interview.
My interview began at 3pm and wasn't over until 5.
I was asked a list of 15 "interview" questions, which I expected. You know, things like:
"Describe a time when someone tried your patience. What did you do and what was the outcome?"
Then we discussed my resume and prior job experiences.
After that we "played a game". This was really a test of my critical thinking skills. He brought out a white board and in the center wrote a lab result value which was low (Hgb 7.1, just in case Kathy's interested) and said that basically I was to imagine I had been working on the unit for six months and it was a new patient. What did I think about the result?
The conversation that ensued lasted at least 45 minutes and involved which assessments I would do, what comparisons I would make, when I felt it would be appropriate to contact the doctor and what interventions I would take. All of this got written around the edges of the lab value as we went.
After that, I got a tour of the unit and he asked if I'd like to talk with one of the staff nurses who works there. Obviously, I said yes. :)
He left us in his office for about 15 more minutes and then returned to wrap up the interview.
1. I don't think I would waste two hours in an interview if I thought the potential employee wasn't someone I wanted to hire.
2. He *did* seem to want someone who might wish to *stay* on his unit for years and he knows I am interested in sharpening my assessment skills and moving into Ob.
3. This unit sounds like it could make me a *razor-sharp* nurse. These patients are extremely ill and you have to be totally on top of your game to catch problems before they become full-blown complications.
4. I feel like the first unit I work, the unit I train at, has the potential to develop many of my work habits I will use through my career. If I want to be the best, I have to work with those who expect the best.
In the end, I feel I really do like the Med Center. If I don't get this job, I am going to look into their other MedSurg units (they have SIX others) because I really think a floor like this can only help me become a better nurse in the long run.
My friends, this is an *intense* unit.
This was also...an *intense* interview.
My interview began at 3pm and wasn't over until 5.
I was asked a list of 15 "interview" questions, which I expected. You know, things like:
"Describe a time when someone tried your patience. What did you do and what was the outcome?"
Then we discussed my resume and prior job experiences.
After that we "played a game". This was really a test of my critical thinking skills. He brought out a white board and in the center wrote a lab result value which was low (Hgb 7.1, just in case Kathy's interested) and said that basically I was to imagine I had been working on the unit for six months and it was a new patient. What did I think about the result?
The conversation that ensued lasted at least 45 minutes and involved which assessments I would do, what comparisons I would make, when I felt it would be appropriate to contact the doctor and what interventions I would take. All of this got written around the edges of the lab value as we went.
After that, I got a tour of the unit and he asked if I'd like to talk with one of the staff nurses who works there. Obviously, I said yes. :)
He left us in his office for about 15 more minutes and then returned to wrap up the interview.
1. I don't think I would waste two hours in an interview if I thought the potential employee wasn't someone I wanted to hire.
2. He *did* seem to want someone who might wish to *stay* on his unit for years and he knows I am interested in sharpening my assessment skills and moving into Ob.
3. This unit sounds like it could make me a *razor-sharp* nurse. These patients are extremely ill and you have to be totally on top of your game to catch problems before they become full-blown complications.
4. I feel like the first unit I work, the unit I train at, has the potential to develop many of my work habits I will use through my career. If I want to be the best, I have to work with those who expect the best.
In the end, I feel I really do like the Med Center. If I don't get this job, I am going to look into their other MedSurg units (they have SIX others) because I really think a floor like this can only help me become a better nurse in the long run.