RN Residency Interview Prep

โœจ ๐ ๐ž๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐Ÿ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ž๐ฐ ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ž๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ž๐ฉ

A majority of nursing interviews are centered around โ€œtell me about a timeโ€ questions which are essentially scenario questions

#1 Choose scenarios from your experience that showcase qualities of the nurse you aspire to be

#2 After a couple of interviews I noticed that scenario questions are generally centered on 6 topics (in no particular order):ย 

1. patient-centered care

2. evidence-based practice

  1. critical thinking

4. safety 

5. teamwork and collaboration

  1. Prioritization 

#3 have a scenario to answer at least one of these questionsย 

โ€œ tell me about a time you…โ€

1. used critical thinking

2. had a difficult coworker &/or what makes a great team 

3. had a difficult patient

4. were compassionate

  1. had to prioritize & change plan of care
  2. used evidence based practice or a question related to our EBP project
  3. made a mistake

#4 use S. T. A. R format- to answer scenario questions

Situation: *make sure to state which rotation, brief overview of setting 

Task: * what you need to do  

Action: * what you did to complete the task

Result: * can also be what you learned 

#5 if you donโ€™t know or understand the question ask clarifying questions!! It shows the interviewer how you problem solve & can give you better insight on if you are answering their question

Lastly, be present! know your responses well enough, but no need to memorize! All of your quirkiness makes you more personable!! As much as they are interviewing you, you are interviewing them so notice how well you personality matches with theirs โค 

Good luck interviewing!!


How did I pass NCLEX-RN?

โ€œWhen you feel like quitting, remember why you startedโ€โฃ


When I was over stuDYING for the NCLEX, I would remind myself that NCLEX was just another step in my journey so I can start caring for patients as a nurse.
โฃ
๐‘๐ž๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐œ๐ž๐ฌโฃ
~ U World & Rationalesโฃ
โฃ~ Mark Klimek Audio Lectures & Notes

๐’๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐†๐จ๐š๐ฅ๐ฌโฃ
~ 100-150 Questions a dayโฃ
~ Write rationales for each question I got wrong, even the ones that I got right. Rationales are the best way to study for NCLEX. You won’t remember the specific questions on UWorld, but you will remember the rationales for why you should ๐•ก๐•š๐•”๐•œ ๐• ๐•Ÿ๐•– ๐•ฅ๐•ช๐•ก๐•– ๐• ๐•— ๐•’๐•Ÿ๐•ค๐•จ๐•–๐•ฃ ๐• ๐•ง๐•–๐•ฃ ๐•’๐•Ÿ๐• ๐•ฅ๐•™๐•–๐•ฃ. I also used my rationales to pinpoint patterns of types of questions & content I was tested on.
โฃ
๐’๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐š๐งโฃ
~ Three Weeks to Studyโฃ
~ On UWorld I didnโ€™t do the questions based on categories (prioritization, etc) I chose to do a comprehensive test each timeโฃ
~ I started with 75 question tests at a time, but after I completed my test & reviewed my rationales, I was so exhausted I wouldnโ€™t want to study anymore for the rest of the day. My average scores were 40-50% when I did 75q tests at a timeโฃ
~ So I started doing 10/20/30 question tests at a time & I continued reviewing/writing rationales after each test. My scores improved dramatically (60-80%) & I was learning so much more (less burnout)โฃ
~ I would make a goal for 50-75 questions in the morning, break in the afternoon, then another 50-75 questions in the evening. My goal of 100-150 questions a day completed!!โฃ
โฃ
๐’๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐๐ž๐œ๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌโฃ
~ Notebook/White paper to organize my notes of rationales. Noticing patterns & seeing areas where I was weak & improving upon them was SO helpfulโฃ
~ Having time for self-care, doing something fun, was major ๐Ÿ”‘ I needed that time to step away from the stress of studyingโฃ

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RN New Grad Residency Spreadsheets

I have gotten a couple of requests on my Instagram Account @thenurserah https://www.instagram.com/thenurserah/ to share the residency program spreadsheets I have been using to find new grad programs in California. It’s hard as a new grad to know how much opportunity there is out there, but there are seriously a lot of hospitals in California with new grad residency programs.

Which programs you apply to depends on a variety of factors. I would use the spreadsheets as a way to organize which new grad programs you are interested in. For example, I would select a hospital I was interested in and go directly to that hospital’s website to learn more about their new grad program. The hospital’s website is the gold standard for accurate information. When researching, I would look for key details like when the program opens, what the requirements are, etc. and I would organize this information in my Residency Template that I am sharing with you.

thenurserah Residency Template

The first excel sheet, thenurserah Residency Template, is a template I made when I was applying to new grad programs. Since it is a template, you’ll be able to fill out the information for the specific new grad programs you are interested in. I also included a check-off list in the template of items most often required in your application packet. Your application packet essentially becomes your portfolio when you go in for your interviews. Your application packet should include: Your resume, Cover Letter, Letter of Recommendations, and Licenses/Certifications/Special Projects. I included unofficial transcripts on the checklist because these are usually a required document in the application process, so it’s helpful to have them. However, it may not be necessary to include them in your portfolio. Also, the work experience doc & the licenses/certifications doc on the check-off list are word documents you can make so that the information is ready to plug into applications, they are not for your portfolio.

California Residency Programs 60 Total
CA Residency Programs Separated by Health System

The last two excel sheets I didn’t make myself. Two wonderful people on a Facebook group that I follow posted them online. The Facebook group I follow is called RNInterview Tools; before I knew anything about new grad programs, I got a lot of my information from this page. The excel sheets below are filled with tons of new grad programs. Filter through them and start adding the ones you select onto your spreadsheet. Make sure you do your research on the hospital website as well. I wish you all the best in your search for a new grad program!

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