Why Do You Think Nicu Nurses Often Report Experiencing Burn Out And What Do You Do To Help Try To Prevent That
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Being a healthcare provider is a great responsibility. Unfortunately, because of the great responsibility, many nurses do report experiencing the need to take a break from work due to the high amount of stress and eventual burnout in the work. At some point during your time with them, your interviewer wants to know that you are capable of handling the high amount of stress that will come with this role as a NICU nurse and that you are cognizant of this danger of the job.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 29th, 2022
How to Answer
Your interviewer is fully aware that the increased stress levels of working as a NICU nurse can cause exhaustion, fatigue, increased levels of absenteeism, and low staff morale as they’ve likely seen this throughout their time as a NICU leader. As you answer this question, you’ll first want to acknowledge that you are aware that you will be stepping into a highly stressful environment. As you do this, you can then talk about the ways that you will join this team that will help prevent you from becoming stressed and burnt out. In the end, stress to your interviewer that you won’t let the common stressors in the NICU cause you to perform poorly on the job as a NICU nurse.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 29th, 2022
Answer Examples Have Been Hidden
Please upgrade to view
Education
Sample Nurse Interview Questions: Adaptability
The nursing profession is one of constant urgency, crisis, and uncertainty. Tell stories of challenges and follow up with key takeaways and learned lessons.
1. Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
Sample answer:
Tell a story about a time you were stressed and under pressure to perform. Explain the situation and why you felt pressured. Describe step-by-step the actions you took to make it through the situation. What was the result? What did you learn? What might you do differently now?
I was the most senior nurse in the unit by over a decade. I had to not only handle my patient assignment but I also was to act as a resource to the other newer nurses on the unit. I had to make sure my time management was great as well as my ability to drop everything and help someone else. I had to stay organized otherwise I would not have been able to assist others.
2. Describe a time when your facility was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?
Sample answer:
Talk about a time your facility changed. Maybe they were acquired by another facility. Perhaps they transitioned to a new computer system. Describe the change and the steps you took to adapt to such change.
3. Tell me about a time when you didnt know the answer to something at work? How did you go about finding the information?
Sample answer:
Sample answer:
5. Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with this situation?
Talk About A Time You Had To Deal With A Distraught Or Sad Family Member As A Registered Nurse How Did You Handle This Situation
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The work of a NICU nurse requires not only working hands-on with newborn babies in need of intensive care, but also with the family members who are responsible for the child. Your interviewer wants to know that you are capable of addressing the needs of the family members that will accompany your patients and that you understand why solid interpersonal skills are important for a NICU nurse to have to successfully console upset family members.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 29th, 2022
How to Answer
Being able to identify stressors that may affect a family member of a NICU patient is important in this role. You ideally want to stress to your interviewer that you will always have an empathetic and understanding approach while you educate the family members on all the steps of their loved ones’ care
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 29th, 2022
Answer Examples Have Been Hidden
Please upgrade to view
Situational
Read Also: How To Prepare For Apple Software Engineer Interview
Practice Answering As Many Interview Questions As You Can Out Loud
Many interviewees review interview questions by reading them alone. But that may not help prepare you as well as speaking your answers out loud. In fact, you may find that you arent as clear on many of your answers as you thought you were.
Consider enlisting a friend or family member to act as the interviewer and ask you sample questions. Practice answering your questions and focus on ways you can communicate more effectively. Be assertive and dont ramble. You will know if you are ready if you can answer questions clearly and constantly.
This Field Requires A Lot Of Hands
The employer wants to make sure they are hiring someone who can dive right into the high-stress responsibilities of being a postpartum nurse.
In this question, draw upon past relevant experience.
If you dont have any hands-on experience, be honest with your interviewer and demonstrate your willingness to learn.
Example answer:
Being the eldest of four children, Ive helped with my younger siblings and my newborn baby sister when she was born.
During my clinical training, I worked in the NICU and was responsible for caring for premature and critically ill newborns.
See also:What Are Your Strengths Nursing Interview
You May Like: How To Prepare For Hiring Manager Interview
Do You Work Well With Doctors Other Nurses And Staff Members
RNs must be able to work closely with their patients and their loved ones, but its just as important that you can work alongside doctors, nurses, and other staff members. When asking this question, the interviewer wants to know that you are a team player and are willing to collaborate with others to provide great patient care. They may also want to learn more about the different types of settings youve worked in previously to see if youd be a good fit on their current team.
Neonatal Nurse Interview Questions And Answers
Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a neonatal nurse, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.
Neonatal nurses are registered nurses who provide specialized care to premature and critically ill newborns. They work in hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities.
Before you can provide care to these vulnerable infants, youll need to answer some questions in a neonatal nurse interview. In this guide, well provide you with some common questions that are asked in a neonatal nurse interview, as well as some suggested answers.
Are you certified as a neonatal nurse?
Employers may ask this question to determine if you have the necessary qualifications for the job. If you are not certified, they might want to know what steps you plan on taking to become certified. If you are already certified, they might want to know how long youve been practicing as a neonatal nurse.
Example:I am currently working toward my certification in neonatal nursing. I started school last year and should be finished by next summer. I feel that having a certification is important because it shows employers that Im qualified to work with newborns. It also helps me stay up-to-date on current practices.
What are the most important qualities for a neonatal nurse to have?
How would you describe the typical day of a neonatal nurse?
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a neonatal nurse?
You May Like: What Should Women Wear To An Interview
Describe A Time When You Took On An Unofficial Leadership Role In The Workplace
When you’re working as an ICU nurse, an employer is expecting you to have some autonomy when it comes to the care of your patients. When the right experience and background, you should be able to assess issues, react quickly and involve other members of the team if you need to for the safety of the patient.
Example:”It’s important to have autonomy in your work and make important decisions for the patient’s care without hesitation, however, there are moments when involving other members of your team is critical. In my previous role, I had a patient who suddenly went into cardiac arrest. I had to call over my fellow ICU nurses to help me with the life-saving measures the patient needed to survive the incident.
In this situation, I gave each of my team members a responsibility. As we were working on saving the patient, I paid close attention to how each of my fellow nurses was doing with their task, and I was able to step in when one nurse was having difficulties with chest compressions. When your patient is in a critical stage, you must act like a leader and utilize the resources available to you, including your coworkers, to save their life.”
Interview Question For Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners generally act with much greater levels of autonomy than other RNs. Providing independent care within the scope of their practice is a huge responsibility, so future employers want to know that the quality of the care they offer is up to the highest standards. Thus, a potential nurse practitioner interview question would be: Tell me about a time you went above and beyond to help a patient and provide excellent patient care.
The way you answer this question will make evident what exceptional care means in your opinion. Going above and beyond for a patient will pinpoint your commitment and dedication. This question is a great way to highlight your skills and your passion for nursing.
Also Check: Where To Watch Interview With A Vampire
How Would You Deal With Someone Whos Not Satisfied With Their Patient Care
Musto explains that this often has to do with patient satisfaction scores. Hospitals and healthcare centers can lose millions of dollars on a poor rating, so they want to hire nurses who will guarantee their patients continue to be pleased with their overall experience.
Of course, its not just about moneycompassion plays a key role in this question, too.
Finally, says Dacillo, We ask these questions to find out how their problem-solving skills and how they can address confrontation.
Sample Nurse Interview Questions: Patient Care
Healthcare hiring professionals want to hire nurses who provide excellent patient care. Education is of utmost importance to healthcare employers. We suggest telling stories about times you provided top-notch patient care or went out of your way to educate patients and/or their families.
1. Tell me about a time when a patients family was dissatisfied with your care. How did you handle that situation?
Sample answer:
Make sure to explain the situation in detail including both perspectives . Never talk badly about patients or their families. Take ownership if you indeed did something wrong. Share any positives that came from this – what did you learn? What would you do differently now? How did you turn this into a positive?
I once was floated to a unit that I had never worked in and wasnt sure where supplies were located. The mother of the patient did not recognize me as a regular floor nurse on the unit and this already made the family leery of me from the start of the shift. I continually had to prove myself throughout the day because as nurses we all do things slightly differently. There is not always a wrong way or a right way to do things but in this case, there was a policy to be followed. I followed it and apparently my dressing change was slightly different than previous ones. I communicated regularly with the charge nurse and she came to check in with the family to address any issues in real-time.
Sample answer:
Sample answer:
Sample answer:
Sample answer:
Read Also: Instacart In Store Shopper Interview
Questions To Ask If You Want To Be A New Grad Nicu Nurse
Graduating from nursing school and passing the NCLEX are some of the biggest accomplishments as a new grad RN. Unfortunately, the stress of finding a job can sometimes cloud the excitement of having the title of RN behind your name. If you are wanting to work in the NICU after graduation its competitive, stressful at times, and chances are youll get a lot of nos before you get one yes. By the time you do get the green light to interview for a job in the NICU what do you even ask? Here is a list of questions to bring with you to the interview and why you want to ask each one if you want to be a new grad NICU nurse.
How Do You Feel About Working A 12
One of the major drawbacks of nursing, in general, is the long shifts, which can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining.
In your answer to this postpartum nurse interview question, you should emphasize that you understand what is expected of you and that you dont have unrealistic expectations about the job.
Example answer:
I understand that long shifts are part of the job and that it will be tough.
I understand that long shifts are necessary to give the best possible care to the patients.
To prepare me for the long shifts, I make the most of my breaks throughout the day and regularly practice self-care.
Also Check: Hiring Interview Questions To Ask
Imagine That A Parent Is In Extreme Distress Constantly Asking You For News About Their Baby Shaking What Will You Do In Such A Situation
The most important thing is to show empathy, and your emotional readiness to deal with such situations. Regardless of your position in NICU, interactions with parents will belong to your job. Tell the interviewers that you will try your best to calm them down, and ensure them that the entire personnel does everything possible to make sure their child will survive and thrive.
And if you are a bearer of bad newsa role nobody likes, you will bear them with sympathy, and will be ready to receive and process whatever emotional reaction comes from the other side. You can also say that you know such situations belong to the job, and that it does not discourage you from applying.
Sample answer:
First of all I understand them. I can imagine I would do the same if my child was hospitalized in NICU. Hence any reactions the parents show towards meeven hostility, I will accept, and always simply try my best to calm them down and ensure them we do everything within our powers to help their child. If I find the situation impossible to handle, I will ask more qualified colleagues to help me outfor example the social worker. In any case, I know interactions with parents form an important part of this job, and not every single one will be a pleasant interaction. I count with this aspect of NICU work, and it doesnt discourage me from applying.
Interview Question For Icu Nurses
Being a patient advocate is a central part of an RNs job description. However, this skill is particularly important in the Intensive Care Unit environment. In the ICU, patients can communicate very little or not at all. They may be intubated and unable to communicate their wishes or needs. So, its up to the ICU nurse to act as a patient advocate in critical care situations. Hence, a behavioral question such as How have you been a patient advocate in previous positions? can be expected during the interview.
Make sure you give examples from your previous experiences but dont include any details that would make it possible to identify the patient.
Read Also: Questions To Ask Volunteer Interview
How Do You Practice Self
Nursing can be a physically and emotionally taxing career, so its important for interviewers to see that you know how to balance work and life. And that youll be able to take care of yourselfno matter how grueling the work getsso that you can come back the next day ready to continue to perform.
Every day youre opening the obituaries and seeing a patient that you treated for 10 years, or youre seeing that mom who had three small kids who died of breast cancer, says Emily Hershey, BSN, RN, Executive Search Consultant of Clinical Nursing at The Roman Healthcare Group. So when shes interviewing candidates, she wants to know how they deal with and overcome compassion fatigue.
Underneath this question, she says, she really wants to know: How do you handle your emotions changing in a matter of 30 seconds, and be able to go from room to room? And then be able to go home to be with your spouse and your children? Overall, good nurses have strong emotional intelligenceabout their patients, sure, but also about themselves.
Interview Question For Nicu Nurses
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a coveted spot for nurses who love working with newborns. At the same time, the NICU can be a very emotional and delicate work environment. An essential part of a NICU Nurses job is dealing with distressed, overwhelmed parents who are extremely worried about their childs condition. A situational question you may be asked during the interview is How do you deal with a parent whos in emotional agony over their childs conditions and keeps breaking hospital regulations to be close to their baby?
Answering this question lets the interviewer know you have respect for hospital regulations, empathy for the parents, and still, your focus is unwaveringly on the wellbeing of the baby.
Recommended Reading: Cracking The Coding Interview Ebook
