Volume 13 Number 7 - January 25th

The interview process at a new facility can make even an experienced travel nurse nervous, not to mention a first time traveler. It’s important to remember that you’re the interviewer as well as the interviewee. The interview is as much about you gathering information about the facility and gauging whether it’s a good fit for you as it is about the hospital examining you and deciding whether you’d be a good addition to the staff.

Based on the experiences of hundreds of nurses, we’ve put together a list of the top questions and inquiries you should know for hospital interviews so you’re thoroughly prepared.

Unit:

1. How many beds?
2. What is the patient acuity level on the unit normally?
3. Is the nursing care delivered by primary, team, or a combination of both?
4. What medication delivery system does the facility use? Hospitals and healthcare services delivery vary from region to region across the country.
5. Is the patient documentation system electronic or manual?

Orientation:

1. How long is orientation? You should expect to receive one to three days of orientation in order to review all the aspects of the facility and procedure.
2. What will be covered during orientation? Orientation should cover the hospital’s and the nursing department’s Policy and Procedure manual - a how-to guide that covers everything from ordering supplies to handling a patient death.
3. Is there a Nursing Education department? Are they involved in the orientation process?

Shift:

1. Confirm your shift. 8-hour days? 12-hour nights?
2. What are the weekend coverage expectations? Be clear about what you want.
3. Ask if there is anyone who can change the agreed upon shift without your knowledge.
4. What is the float philosophy/policy? Express to the interviewer your comfort level with floating to units of like competency.
5. What are the expectations of travelers when patient census is low?

Management:

1. What is the nursing management structure?
2. Who can you go to if you have questions?
3. If you are expected to do “charge,” is there any training provided?

Staff:

1. Are there permanent staff members who’ve worked on the unit for awhile? If the unit has a high turnover rate, that may be an indication of frequent change and that your resources may be limited. Are you a “change master”?
2. Is the staff travel nurse friendly? Are they used to working well with travelers?
3. What is the culture of nurse-physician relationships on the unit? Are the physicians helpful in increasing nurse knowledge?

It is very important that you take the time to review all of the answers you receive. Applying good critical thinking to your decision is a smart way to get your travel nurse experience off to a good start. A great interview is the beginning of a great travel nursing assignment.

Step in on Step-Down

Go inside the step-down unit at a hospital and meet a woman who went from being a clerk to being in charge of critical care.

The LifeBed

It’s the bed of the future - an early warning system that automatically monitors a patient’s vital signs while they rest. Get a look at all of the state-of-the-art features of the LifeBed.

Travel Nursing in Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a lovely upstate city in New York, most notable as the location of Syracuse University, a major research university in the country. The city is also overflowing with luscious greenery in more than 1,000 acres of parks and recreational areas. These areas are great for running, biking and skating. Be sure to head indoors to one of many art galleries and museums throughout the city.
Weather: High: 57, Low: 38
Population: 147,306
Nearby Cities: Auburn, Oneda, Fulton

Hot Travel Nursing Jobs

Contact your recruiter or call Access Nurses at 1-866-687-7390 to inquire about the following jobs!

Syracuse, New York
L&D and Post Partum
Positions: One
Shift: Nights
Start Date: ASAP

Boston, Massachusetts
Chemo Infusion
Positions: One
Shift: 8-hour days
Start Date: ASAP

Lake Forest, Illinois
OR-circ, PACU and Day Surgery
Positions: Five
Shift: Flexible days
Start Date: ASAP

Bel Air, Maryland
ICU
Positions: Two
Shift: Nights
Start Date: ASAP

Cincinnati, Ohio
L&D
Positions: Three
Shift: Days or nights
Start Date: ASAP

Las Cruces, New Mexico
Med Surg
Positions: One
Shift: Days
Start Date: February 11

Kansas City, Missouri
NICU
Positions: Four
Shift: Flexible
Start Date: ASAP

Denver, Colorado
OR
Positions: Three
Shift: 12-hour weekdays
Start Date: ASAP

Mountain View, California
OR
Positions: One
Shift: 12-hour days
Start Date: February 1

Carmichael, California
Surgical
Positions: One
Shift: 8-hour evenings
Start Date: February 4

Lebanon, New Hampshire
NICU
Positions: One
Shift: 12-hour rotation
Start Date: February 11

Walnut Creek, California
OR
Positions: Four
Shift: Days and evenings
Start Date: ASAP

Augusta, Georgia
CCU
Positions: Two
Shift: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Start Date: ASAP

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Peds
Positions: Two
Shift: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Start Date: ASAP

Las Vegas, Nevada
ICU
Positions: One
Shift: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Start Date: ASAP

Arroyo Grande, California
Med Surg
Positions: Two
Shift: Days and nights
Start Date: ASAP

Featured Forum Topic

Traveling with a Spouse

My husband - who is a nurse - and I are both very excited about beginning travel nursing around this time next year. Here is the thing: I am not a nurse! So…here are my questions:

1. Any suggestions on how I might find a job during our various stops? (We hope to do eight 13-week contracts.) I definitely do not want a two-year gap on my resume.

2. Has anyone else brought a spouse or partner along? If so, what did they do while you were working?

Read more/reply

Humor

Top 5 Ways You Know it Will be a Bad Shift

1. The previous shift tells you, “Things have been quiet.”

2. Your phone rings four hours before your shift and they beg you to come in early.

3. While driving to work, every radio station is playing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

4. The nurse about to give you report looks up from her notes and asks, “How many R’s in diarrhea?”

5. There’s no fresh coffee in the break room.