Tips for Interview Success as a New Grad

You have applied for positions, now it’s time to interview. Congratulations! Maybe this is your first interview, maybe you’ve worked before, but let’s focus on how you ace that nursing position you are hoping for. Do your research first! If you’re applying to a hospital, what is its mission statement? What are their views on patient care? What do reviews from the public say online? You want to go in semi-knowledgeable about what you are walking into. You can always call and speak with a nursing recruiter prior to applying. If you are unfamiliar with the institution, ask what kind of floors/patients/specialty areas are there and then you can make a better-informed decision when applying for specific openings.

Dress the part. Be the part. You are now a licensed professional. You should not go to any nursing interview wearing scrubs. While we live in our scrubs on the units, it does not send the message of “I am a nursing professional” while interviewing. You don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars on a new wardrobe, but invest in a few classic styles that you can always use for interviews down the road. Let’s be honest, nurses assess people and situations constantly. This means the person you are interviewing will be assessing you and your appearance. You only get one chance to make a first impression so make it the best.

Think thoughtfully. You should be prepared to ask a few questions of the manager you are interviewing with. Many people respond with “I don’t think I have any questions.” This may be due to nerves, due to simply blanking, but nevertheless you should always ask at least 3 questions. For example, what are the unit goals, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the unit, and what do patient satisfaction scores look like on the unit. It is imperative to ask about staffing ratios, meaning nurse to patient, and what a new nursing orientation looks like. You are a new grad, brand new. You learned what you needed to know to pass boards. You do not know everything, and it is going to take time and practice to learn the art of nursing. You should have a well-planned orientation, a seasoned preceptor (hard to come by these days), and specific goals for working towards obtaining skills and experiences on a unit. That alone should help prompt questions you may want to ask while interviewing.

Next, inquire about shadowing on the unit. This will allow you to be paired with a nurse and see how the unit flows, patient care, and ask that nurse questions about their satisfaction on the unit. You probably wouldn’t buy a brand-new car without ever test driving it right? Don’t accept a position without seeing the unit or shadowing. Most hospitals are happy to allow for shadowing and many specialty areas, like NICU, PICU, may even require this prior to offering you a position.

Be prepared to discuss your weaknesses and strengths. Think long and hard about clinical feedback you received in school. Remember those weekly evaluations? This is where they come in handy! Always acknowledge a weakness as room to grow. For example, I am a type A personality who is a perfectionist. If you were to ask me to describe one of my weaknesses I would say” I am a perfectionist, I strive to do my best, and to always meet others’ expectations. I acknowledge that I can often be very hard on myself, and I am working on giving myself a measure of grace.” True weakness is not always a bad thing, and I acknowledge how I strive to make that into a strength.

Working as a faculty member I have been on my fair share of search committees and interviews, I love those candidates who come prepared with questions and copies of their resume, cover letter, or maybe a sample of their work/feedback. It is something tangible I can look at and it usually tells me a lot about the candidate who is interviewing. Can I view these items online, sure. However, I appreciate that the candidate is thinking forward and printing them for me, handing them to me, and wants me to see in black and white their accomplishments.

Lastly, strive to make all application materials error free. I struggle when I see typos and spelling mistakes. We don’t want to work with sloppy nurses, or those who rush through tasks. Take the time to have friends or family review your materials before submitting because another set of eyes can be your best friend! Make sure if you have a generic cover letter, as many people do, it does not contain names of other institutions you have applied for. Honestly, that is just tacky! Again, proof-read and ask others to do the same. As I mentioned above if you have read the mission statement of core values of the hospital, include them in the cover letter. It doesn’t have to be anything long or complex. It shows you took the time to do your research and you are vested in this potential opportunity.

Be yourself, who you are should shine through. Make eye contact, speak clearly, be sure to thank the search committee for their time, and be present. You can do this!

Common Myths About Working in Peds

When people find out I am a nurse with a specialty in pediatrics, everyone's response is, "That must be so hard." Yes, it can be hard; there are some hard days, but that is true of any job. Not all days are bad days, and not all patient interactions are heart-breaking. Allow me to elaborate. My hope is that you gain a better understanding of what it is really like if you decide to specialize in pediatrics.

Myth #1 - Pediatric nursing is heartbreaking. My background is in pediatric ICU, med-surg, and oncology. Have I seen some difficult things? You bet. You can't work in an ICU and not experience the highest of highs and lowest of lows. It is a tough job; you walk into that setting knowing you are dealing with very sick patients, and they are often teetering between life and death. But that is not every shift, every patient, every day. When you decide to work with oncology patients, you know going into that field that some patients beat cancer and, sadly, sometimes cancer beats them. It is very difficult to watch a child decline in health and go through all the challenges of the disease. It is hard to get so close to these kids and their families and know that you yourself can't cure cancer, but you can care for them, help them, and support them. However, there are so many kids that beat cancer, defy the odds, and go on to live a normal existence and joyful life. I have seen it time and time again. You do know that when you work in this field, you will eventually experience child abuse cases, broken, complicated family dynamics, and unfortunate genetic defects and complex disease processes. It is part of the job and, albeit a difficult part, but again you still see happy healthy kids too who, for example, may have just hit a bump in the road and need their appendix out; no one hurt them. So, while heartbreak can be a part of the job at times, it is not the whole job. Please do not let this deter you from working in peds.

Myth #2 - You need adult med-surg experience first. I hear this so often from new grads and nursing faculty. I completely disagree. If you know in your heart you are interested in working in peds, strive to work in peds. I started my career in nursing with zero adult med-surg experience. I applied right to a pediatric ICU, knew nothing, and learned so much! Any unit will teach you what you need to know, and your exposure and experience over time build your knowledge, judgment, and comfort. Contrary to some beliefs, you do not need to have adult med-surg experience first. Now, that being said, will it help? Sure, because experience is experience. Adult med-surg floors are filled with higher acuity patients and higher RN-to-patient ratios. If this is your background, you have had ample training with time management, patient care, and a better understanding of your nursing role. This will absolutely help you when you decide to begin working in peds; it will strengthen you. But it is not imperative to get this experience before working in peds. I knew I would never work with adult med-surg patients because I never wanted to work with adults. Boy am I glad I went straight for my goal. Pediatrics trained me to be a pediatric nurse.

Myth #3 - Kids and parents are scary. Each semester, students tell me they aren't interested in peds because kids are scary. Honestly, I think adults are scary. I am in my zone when faced with a pediatric patient. Let's break this down further. Kids are not simply little adults; they are kids. When you approach them like kids and understand that their development and interaction are different, they are easier to understand. For example, a 6-month-old baby can't verbalize what hurts, but working in peds, you will learn how their crying, increased heart rate, or change in behaviors may indicate pain, sickness, hunger, etc. You begin to understand what normal vs. abnormal is, and that starts to melt away the fear of the unknown. You have to remember that you are going to see and experience so many different types of patients and diseases, but this increases your comfort and knowledge. Now, let's address the parents. I will be the first to admit that the very first time I walked into an infant's room and saw their parents, I was intimidated. I knew those parents were watching my every move, and they could probably even see me coming unnerved a bit. Then you begin to realize they are just making sure you are taking excellent care of their child. I wasn't a parent when I became a nurse, but I am one now, and I can tell you that is my perspective. I pay close attention to ensure my child is receiving the best care possible. You will quickly begin to realize that when you include the parents, talk with them and their child, and develop open communication, parents aren't so scary. It's like ripping off a band-aid; you just need to do it. You just need to talk with the parents to overcome your fear. That being said, you may still have some difficulty with families, parents, or social situations. Not every day in peds is rainbows and butterflies. But that is life and that is nursing. Bad days and difficult situations don't last, but strong nurses do!

Two-Year vs. Four-Year RN Degree, What Should I Do?

If you have been thinking about pursuing a degree in nursing, you have probably found out that there are multiple options available. Today let’s focus on both a two year and four-year degree. Students often ask which option I should pick. That depends on a variety of factors and honestly it is a personal choice.

I was not a traditional nursing student, meaning nursing was not my first degree. I went back to nursing school at the age of 24 and already had a degree under my belt. This also meant that when looking at programs, I didn’t have gen eds to take. I was fortunate to only need nursing classes to complete my degree. Over the course of 4 semesters, or two years, I completed a two-year RN program. When I sat for boards, I was taking the very same boards that a bachelor nursing student takes. There are no separate boards. RN boards are RN boards. Interesting fact to note is entry pay is the same as well. Whether you have received a two-year nursing degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing, when you work at the bedside you are earning the same hourly rate. It does not change based on your degree. If that is the case, why choose a four-year degree?

Well, there are certainly reasons, so let’s talk about those too! Many healthcare systems are looking for nurses with a bachelor’s degree. This goes back to Magnet accreditation and the push to have all nurse leaders obtain a BSN or MSN degree. Unfortunately, due to nursing shortages, staffing crisis, and a massive retiring nursing workforce, realistically many institutions recognize that it isn’t feasible to only hire BSN prepared nurses. They still hire nurses with an associate degree, and many institutions hire on the basis that a BSN will be completed within five years of hire.  That means you have 1, 825 days from your hire date to complete a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, many hospitals offer reimbursement programs, meaning as you complete classes they reimburse your tuition fees. This is a huge incentive to go back to school! But guess what, if you are lucky to have graduated with your BSN, you can still take classes and work towards obtaining your MSN and still get tuition reimbursement! You would be crazy not to take advantage of this perk, plus those credits do count towards your annual continuing education to maintain licensure.

Why did I choose a two-year program? It is simple, I was tired of being in school and eager to begin making money and work as an RN. I had been taking college classes since 2005 so when 2010 rolled around I was very attracted to a two-year RN program. I was ready to make money knowing that when I was ready to start working on my BSN, I could begin taking classes and the hospital would reimburse my tuition. If I was younger or right out of high school, I would absolutely invest in a 4-year program, because personally I always knew that I would work to obtain my BSN and eventually MSN degree. There is always the financial aspect as well. We all know college is not cheap. Many people need to take the two-year option for cost purposes and start to work and make money to support a family. It is honestly all about your personal goals and where you are in your life. Your walk and my walk may look very different, and that is OK!

When making this decision, consider your long-term goals, think about what you need to do vs what you want to do. Do not let anyone make you feel like you are less of a nurse to obtain an associate degree because guess what, you are not! In fact, leave the opinions of others out of final decision. You have to do what works best for you. Again, whether you choose the two years or four year route, we are all sitting for the same RN boards 😊 Do your research, crunch numbers, think about your goals, and talk over your thoughts with nursing program directors. They are there to help you achieve your goals and make the choice that best suits your academic and personal needs.

My Journey

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I am excited that you found me. I am Nurse Lizzie. A mom, wife, certified pediatric RN, and nursing educator. I am here to share my tips, advice, life, study skills, and everything in between with you.

Grab your coffee, it’s going to be a long one! Many nurses I know always knew they wanted to be a nurse, they followed in the footsteps of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, the nursing “blood” ran in the family. They had dreams of wearing that nursing cap with pride upon graduation, then transitioning into patient care, blood, guts, and adrenaline filled days.  I am not that person. I never wanted to be a nurse as a kid, in fact, it was never even a blip on my radar. I had dreams of going to school for interior design and creating spaces and places for people, businesses, and truly I always pictured myself living in a bustling city working, traveling, and creating Lizzie inspired spaces. That is not my life today, can you believe it?

So how did I get here? Let me tell you. I did in fact go to school for interior design upon graduating high school and I quickly learned it just was not for me. While the art classes, art history, media, and design portions were exciting and exactly what I had dreamed of, I quickly realized I could not see myself in this world of design ten years from now. I was home sick, lost, confused, and in all honesty just felt empty. I didn’t know what the next steps were, and I was so afraid I would never figure them out.

Fast forward, I moved home, started taking gen-ed classes at a local campus and found myself increasingly interested in science, health, and wellness. I loved learning about A&P, how body systems work, how one impacts the other, how disease impacts each system etc. I also really enjoyed working out and spending time in the gym. It was then that I decided to apply to a physical fitness specialist program and from there I began working towards my associate degree in applied science. I spent two years learning all about the things that intrigued me, that gap and emptiness I had in art school were gone. I was working alongside incredibly gifted faculty with diverse areas of expertise and school felt like a fun activity rather than a chore. As I neared the end of my degree, I had to complete an internship in fitness. While many peers focused on gyms and personal training as most of us know it, I focused on obtaining an internship in cardiac rehab at a local hospital. It was an amazing experience, and it truly opened the door to nursing for me. I got to work with clients who were lucky enough to survive a myocardial infarction AKA “heart attack” and they had a second chance at life. They decided to get fit, make dietary changes, move their bodies, and just live the life that they came so close to losing. I cannot tell you how these men and women shaped my future. I discovered how much I loved talking with various patients, working with them in their various stages of recovery, helping them on the good days and the days where the going got tough. I knew that as I graduated with my degree, I owed it to myself to pursue nursing. It was all my head and heart could think about.

As many nurses require a strong math and science GPA, I was taking classes, hitting the study sessions, and working my hardest to get the grades that mattered. I spent what felt like years on campus, at the library, engaged and focused. Selections had begun, and guess what? I did not get a seat in the two-year RN program initially. I felt so defeated. I cried so hard, the big ugly tears, the mascara staining, heart draining tears. I felt like someone had literally ripped my heart out of my chest. When I pulled myself together and realized that life goes on, I made the decision to be placed on the wait list just in case anyone decided not to begin the program in August. One week later I got the phone call that changed my life, I got offered a seat in the RN program.

I spent two years working my butt off, all while getting married, but guess what I did it! I graduated in May 2012 with a second associated degree in applied science, this time in nursing. Those two years were filled with high highs and low lows, but I achieved my dream. Better yet, I discovered my calling, which was pediatric nursing. I love taking care of people, especially when they can’t take care of themselves and for me, I found my heart was called to pediatrics instantaneously. Specialties are like cilantro, you either love it or hate it. While I hated psych, I loved peds and I knew that I was meant to take care of kids. Upon graduation I accepted a job in PICU and worked there for a year, and then transitioned to a pediatric med-surg and oncology floor. I worked there until I decided to focus on a full-time career in nursing education. I have seen a lot in that time, and guess what? I cannot wait to share it all with you!

I have been working in nursing education since 2015 and I am here to share with you all my tips, tricks, and encouragement. I believe that a good educator sets your heart on fire for the quest of knowledge and truly cheers you on when the going gets tough and celebrates when the dreams come true! That is who I am, Nurse Lizzie, your personal nursing education and pediatric cheerleader. Please be sure to follow along weekly as I share everything from nurse life, wife, and mom life with you!