Hospital Designation
EMR
Hospital beds
Unit beds
Nurse to patient ratio
Equipment
Patient demographic
Cases/Settings
Trauma, illness, injury
Medication
Policies and procedures
Accomplishments

Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkSfp3XHSko

Once you have reviewed and completed the above steps to prepare for your interview, you are ready
for the big day. But remember the basics! For example, be sure to get a good night’s sleep and eat
properly. Also, dress in clothes that you feel confident and comfortable wearing and make sure
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they’re clean and pressed. Do not wear nurse’s whites. It’s better to dress somewhat formally than
the interviewer.
On the day of the interview, arrive 15 minutes early so you can relax, review your surroundings,
and visit a restroom to check your appearance. Here are some additional tips to help you make a
great first impression:
o There are really no excuses to be late for an interview. However, if there is an
emergency, call the interviewer as soon as possible to say that you will be late or
unable to make the appointment. If your must reschedule, get to the new
appointment early. Missing an appointment without calling can often eliminate your
chances of obtaining a position at this organization.
o Take extra copies of your resume and a list of references with you. Be sure to put
your name, address, and phone number on the reference list.
o Take a pad and pen along for any notes you may wish to make immediately after the
interview. Taking notes during the interview may be distracting.
o Bring your nursing license (if you have it) and relevant certificates.
o Bring a list of questions to ask, including:
ƒ What do you perceive as challenges of this position?
ƒ What training/orientation is available for this position?
ƒ At the end of the interview, be sure to ask: what’s the next step?
ƒ Do you have an idea of when you’d like to fill this position?
ƒ Can I provide you with any additional information?
o Make allies of everyone (receptionist, secretary, etc.) along the way.
o Read organization materials or an appropriate magazine while you wait.
o Never, ever speak negatively about former employers or educational institutions.
o Use a firm handshake and look the interviewer in the eye.
o Be enthusiastic and interested.
o Do not smoke or chew gum even if others are doing so.
o Relax — be yourself.
o Use your interviewer’s name from time to time as you speak. Never use the
interviewer’s first name unless you have been specifically requested to do so.
o Use good grammar.
o Use good diction. Say “yes” instead of “yeah.”
o Don’t fill pauses in the conversation with “ahs” and “umms.”
o Use active verbs when you talk about your skills and experience. Say “I treated,” “I
supervised,” “I trained,” to emphasize your strengths.
o Don’t “think,” “guess,” or “feel,” anything. These indecisive words make you
appear less than assertive.
o Avoid negative terms as “pretty good” or “fairly well.” When you talk about your
skills and experience, use positive, strong words.
o If you are interviewing for your first nursing position, don’t apologize about your
lack of experience. Instead, emphasize your willingness to learn and the successes
of your nursing program.
o Offer examples of accomplishments. Support your claim to skills with descriptions,
statistics, and testimonials. If possible, bring along copies of publications you’ve
authored and information about professional activities with which you’ve been
involved.
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o Do not bring up salary or schedule/hours during a first interview. Rather, wait for
the interviewer to do so

o How do my strengths, interests, and work values relate to the requirements of this
position?
o To what extent are my goals compatible with the objectives of this position and the
mission of this organization?
o Will this position provide what I’ve identified as important (opportunity for worklife
balance, training, advancement potential…)

The more you know about a potential employer, the better. Researching employers will help you
make a better impression. It will also help you evaluate whether or not the organization and
position are good fits for you. Before your interview, research the organization (including its
mission, financial stability, recent awards and compliance record). Find out through networking,
reviewing online resources, and by reading articles in trade journals, newspapers, and business
periodicals. After your research is complete, you should be able to answer these questions about
the hiring organization: What is the reputation of this organization? Is it financially sound? What
is its reputation with regard to treatment of nurses? How does it support continuing education? Be
sure to find answers to questions of your own as well.

Because a resume creates an image of who you are, it’s to your advantage to have one that shows
how your experience makes you a suitable employee. As you review your resume, select
experiences that you believe are relevant for the position you are seeking. For example, if the
position you are seeking will include training others, be sure to be able to discuss any training
you’ve provided in the past. Remember, anything on your resume is fair game. Be sure to can
effectively explain any statements included and relate them to the requirements of the position you
are seeking.

Before your interview, you should determine the average salary and bonus level for the position
you’re seeking and other benefits information that can help you to negotiate effectively. To gauge
this, find out the market value for your skills at similar-sized organizations in the same geographic
area. For a first position, you may not have much negotiating room, however, it’s important to have
as much information as possible. Visit the SON website for links to salary information

The purpose of this stage is to help you and the interviewer get to know each other. It’s brief —
five to 10 minutes — and usually includes small talk about the weather, traffic, or another
innocuous subject. Some career specialists suggest that you discretely look for a book you’ve read
or evidence of a hobby or other activity that is an interest of yours and the interviewer’s. Ask
questions about it and be interested, but don’t gush.
In spite of its length, this stage is extremely important since many candidates are screened out
during the first five minutes. Initial presentations are critical. You’ll want to appear confident,
pleasant, and professional. Doing so will encourage the interviewer to learn more about you, i.e.,
why you are the best qualified candidate for this job.
To an astute observer, your physical mannerisms provide insight into your emotional state. Hiring
managers will peg you as too nervous or uninterested if you’re fidgety, shaky or unresponsive
during an interview. Thus, it’s important to take control of your body language from the start. A
firm handshake can work wonders. Interviewers also watch your eyes, so be sure to maintain good
eye contact with them. Posture is another key to conveying physical energy. By sitting up straight
and leaning toward the interviewer, you create a more favorable impression of yourself as an active
listener.
You will be moving into the next phase when the interviewer asks a more direct, job-related
question such as, “Why are you interested in working for this company?” You should, at this point,
be prepared to talk about yourself as related to your career

During this stage, which may last 20-30 minutes, the interviewer will begin to ask a series of jobrelated
questions. The interviewer should be in charge here, but if you notice long pauses between
questions, it may be appropriate for you to initiate conversation about your qualifications for the
job. Adapt your behavior to the interviewer’s style. Listen carefully to his/her questions and
respond with the most pertinent, relevant information you can, taking a moment to organize your
thoughts if necessary.
The employer’s goals during this stage include: obtaining data about you and your qualifications,
analyzing how well your qualifications match the requirements of the company, evaluating your
ability to communicate what you have to offer, and assessing how prepared you are for the
interview. Depending on who is interviewing you, you will be asked different questions. In
addition to evaluating your responses to the interview questions, the employer may be attempting to
answer these questions as well:
o How alert and responsive is the applicant?
o How well does the applicant follow my train of thought?
o Is the applicant able to draw proper inferences and conclusions during the course of
the interview?
o Has the applicant used good judgment in the manner in which his/her life has been
planned and led so far?
o Can the applicant think and respond spontaneously?
o What is the applicant’s capacity for problem solving?
o Is the applicant self-centered or can he/she identify with the company’s goals and
values?
o How well does the candidate respond to stress or pressure?
o Is the candidate dressed professionally and appropriately?
o Does the applicant seem interested in the job and the company?
o Does the applicant ask intelligent and thoughtful questions about the company,
demonstrating knowledge of the company and where he/she might fit?
o Is the applicant a “go-getter?”
o Will the applicant fit into the company?
o How well does the applicant compare with others interviewed for the position?
Accordingly, the following characteristics can eliminate you from future consideration:
o Overbearing presence
o Inability to express oneself clearly
o Lack of planning for career
o Lack of interest and enthusiasm
o Lack of confidence and poise
o Failure to participate in activities
o Overemphasis on money
o Poor scholastic record
o Evasiveness
o Lack of tact
o Lack of maturity
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o Lack of courtesy
o Condemnation of past employers
o Lack of vitality
o Failure to maintain eye contact
o Indecision
o Little sense of humor
o Lack of knowledge in field of specialization
o No interest in company or in industry
o Narrow interests
o Inability to accept criticism
o Radical ideas
o Lack of familiarity with company
Your goals during this stage should include: demonstrating your motivation, interest in the position,
and capabilities; identifying traits about yourself that are needed for this position; communicating
clearly why you are best qualified for this position; and determining if there is a match for you in
this organization by evaluating your level of comfort with the environment, people you meet, and
details of the position.

The purpose of this stage of the interview is to pull together loose ends. The interviewer may ask if
you have additional questions. He/she may also ask you summary questions. Use this as an
opportunity to emphasize your strengths and interest in the position.
The employer may also give you an evaluation of the interview and outline the next steps. It is
appropriate to ask (if the interviewer does not tell you) how the job search is being conducted and
when you can expect to hear from the organization about the next interview. Hopefully, you both
enjoyed this conversation and can end the session by telling each other so.

The first thing to do after leaving the interview is breathe a sigh of relief! The second is to start a
follow-up procedure. Sitting in your car, on the bus, train, or plane, do a written recap of the
interview while it’s still fresh in your mind. Answer these questions:
o Whom did I meet?
o What does the job entail?
o What are the first projects and/or biggest challenges?
o What aspects of the interview went poorly? What aspects went well? How can I
improve my performance?
o What questions would I like to have asked and didn’t?
o Do I want to receive an offer from this employer?
o What is the next step to take with this employer?
Next, write a follow-up note to the interviewer to acknowledge the meeting and to keep you fresh in
his or her mind. Be sure to mail this letter within 24 hours of the interview. According to Hirsch
(1996), a good thank-you letter is an ideal way to make sure that you express the kind of interest
and enthusiasm employer desires. But it’s not enough to send a form letter. You must sound
genuine and sincere, and that requires a personal touch. Besides expressing interest in a position,
thank-you letters can reinforce or correct a first impression or build on the relationship you’ve
already established with an interviewer. Sending quality correspondence will reflect favorably on
your personality and writing style. You may want to use the following four-part structure to get
more mileage from your message:
o Tell the interviewer how much you enjoyed meeting him or her.
o Express your enthusiasm for the organization and the job.
o Reiterate a specific discussion point.
o Establish your next point of contact.
Also, if your interview was the result of a networking contact, part of your follow-up should include
a call to your networking source. This can motivate your contact to redouble his or her efforts on
your behalf, stimulate a conversation about you between the interviewer and you