You did it!
You have an interview for a travel nursing job! This is such an exciting time, and you are probably a little bit nervous about being questioned when all you really want is your dream job. Well, we have some good news.
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How YOU interview your interviewer is almost just as important as your interview skills, and YOU can completely control how that conversation goes. Nurse Managers will definitely have questions for you to ensure you are a good fit, but how prepared you are with questions for them will show that you are invested in this being a successful assignment. Here are some questions we think you should ask for a well-rounded interview that is sure to impress.
What Are You Looking for in a Nurse?
This question accomplishes two things:
- You determine their expectations of you both professionally and personally which is an opportunity to see if your personality will work well with others on the unit and your job description and
- You can see if their expectations are reasonable and lead with quality management that will help you be successful and achieve your goals.
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What do you like best about working for this organization?
We love this question! It is important that you know why other people enjoy working for the organization you are about to work for so you can see if your values align. Also, if they do not have a great answer for this question or it does not resonate whatsoever with you, that is also a sign that it may not be a good fit and to keep asking further questions. You both need to be happy!
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What are your core values, and what traits do you look for in your employees?
At the foundation of every work space and every employee there are core values that must mean something to all involved for them to be carried out on a day to day basis.
By asking this question, you are figuring out what is of utmost importance to the institution and if you can handle those values. In addition, finding out what personality traits they look for in their healthcare professionals will tell you what style of management you are about to be working for as well as if you feel like you can live up to their expectations based off of who you truly are at your core.
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What is your management style?
This is a crucial question because it lets you know exactly how they see themselves when it comes to leadership. You can make an easy judgment call based on how someone interprets their own actions and behaviors.
This question will also open up a dialogue about how you will be treated if you need help, make a mistake, go above and beyond, and other moments where management style blending with your personality and learning style is really important. You need to feel encouraged even when you are not at your best.
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What is the greatest challenge I would face in this position?
You need to feel comfortable at all times in your work environment. You should feel challenged, but that is different than ever being uncomfortable. By understanding what the hardest challenge you could possibly face would be, you can make the decision if that is something that you can handle. You have to protect yourself and your license, so this question is pertinent.
What is the work environment like here?
You might be surprised to hear this, but even different units in the same hospital offer very different work environments. It is vital that you discover whether or not the unit you are applying for is quiet, strict, people helping people, the loud and funny unit, the more experienced crowd, the brand new crowd, and so on, you get the point.
Find out if you would fit in with your coworkers work style and the environment that they have created together. It probably flows really well for them, and you may love joining the team.
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How long have most of the nurses on this unit been with the organization?
The answer to this question is one of the most telling of all of them in this document. How long most of the nurses on the unit have been there is extremely telling about how much they have enjoyed working there.
If turnover is high and quick, you are probably applying for a unit that is difficult to stay committed to. It is up to you to try and figure out why that might be as turnover is usually a red flag for a bad working environment. You want to make sure that you are joining a team that is happy to be there and looks forward to staying in the organization for the long haul.
What is the patient population in this department?
You will most likely go into this question already knowing the answer. You applied for this unit and this job, so you will most likely be serving the same patient population you have experience in taking care of.
However, they may have some changes based on their geographical location or specific type of facility that are important for you to know about. You also want to make sure that you understand how many patients you will be taking care of per shift, so you can be prepared.
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What challenges is this facility facing and how can I help address them?
This question will warrant a unique response every single time you ask it to any employer, even from the same facility. Most managers will see the challenges differently, and will ask that you step up to help address them in different ways.
Take that as a promising challenge. You can wear many hats as a nurse, and if they explain the challenges to you and you can proactively participate in bettering the facility you will probably feel really good about taking a job with them. Being a traveler, you will know more than what is confined to their facility, and you can share your knowledge from other places to better patient care.
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What is the next step in the hiring process?
They should answer this question before you have the chance to ask it, but it is important that you know what to expect when you leave the interview. Nobody should have to wait for days without knowing if you should be waiting on an email, phone call, etc.
It is always a good idea to follow-up with whoever you interviewed with no matter what, especially to say thank you, but make sure you know what you are waiting on when it comes to a final answer before you leave the interview.
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Conclusion
When you go into a travel nursing interview, be prepared to answer questions about yourself and about your skill set. Remain calm, be honest, and just do your absolute best. Don’t forget to take these questions with you, because employers want proactive employees that also want to ensure it will be a good fit for them.
You want to show initiative, and you also do not want to be stuck in a position that you absolutely hate simply because you never asked any questions about the culture beforehand. You can do this! Good luck, have fun, and happy interviewing!