Registered Nurse 

How did you get your current job?
I found this job while in nursing school, I applied at the hospital to work as an LPN and continued thru school to finish my RN and continued on with this hospital ever since, just moving to the home health department.

What was the application process?
Paper application was the standard at that time. But now they accept applications over the internet.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
The interview process included the Human Resources manager and the Nurse Manager. They asked me about my schooling and any prior experience or volunteering I had done in the past. A criminal background check is mandatory along with fingerprinting as you care for people who are fragile and at risk. The interview was pleasant and easy going.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Where did you go to school? What prior experience have you had? What is your strengths?, weaknesses? Are you flexible with scheduling? days, evenings, nights, weekends and on-call duty?

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, they have a very detailed plan with check marks to make sure you get all the info needed before you are taken off the probationary list and placed as a reagular employee.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I was enrolled in a community college for Nursing. I recieved an AA degree. It required an application to the nursing program, a 2.0 or above GPA. Classes were standard for the first year with english, math and the other necessary courses and the next two years were in the Nursing program itself which included one summer quarter and clinical, which is study at the respective community hospitals where you work under the supervision of the instructor and the other RN’s to do duties as assigned with out pay. After schooling, I was trained at the hospital for two weeks orientation. It included viewing the policy and procedure manuals, and other necessary paperwork and then I followed an experienced RN around as she showed me where things were located, how to chart and how to give report to the next shift

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes!! My school did an excellent job in preparing me. Plenty of clinical experience and lots of support from the instructors. They even provide recomendations for you when you need references.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Absolutely, having had school, volunteer and previous experience in medical field work before really helped me feel comfortable during school, training and on the job.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Usually a person has graduated from an accredited college with a nursing degree. Either RN or LPN. Most home health agencies will require one year of experience working in a hospital first. As you are basically on your own while with patients in their home and experience counts. You will need a current CPR card certification.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Social skills are a must as you will interact with just about every personality type. You will need the ability to remain calm in emergency situations and be organized efficient and have great technical and sterile skills to perform your job. You will need the ability to teach others how to do their own care. Writing messages or reminders, calling, reporting in written and verbal communcations is necessary.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Absolutely a 2 year degree. But I would recomend a 4 year degree if possible.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
I would tell them to take their school work very seriously, study science, math, english, chemistry and biology. Volunteer at your local hospital to get a good idea of the kind of things nurses do, ask if you can job shadow someone for a day.