If you’ve landed an interview for a nursing position, you’ll want to spend some time reviewing common interview questions so that you’ll feel well prepared and confident when responding. Keep your answers focused and positive while giving examples of similar situations you may have encountered in the past that resulted in a successful outcome. Following are some answers to common questions you may be asked during a nursing interview.

Do you work better alone or as part of a team?

I believe that nursing is a team effort, and I enjoy contributing to a team, but I also appreciate the one-on-one time I have with my patients.

How would you handle a situation where a patient complains of having constant pain?

I would be sympathetic to their complaint and reassure the patient I am hearing everything they are saying while doing the best I can to make them as comfortable as possible.

How do you handle stress while on duty?

I handle stress by focusing on the care of the patient, which to me is the most important thing. If I overreact, it could upset the patient, so I do my best to stay calm and focused for them.

What do you feel is most rewarding about being a nurse?

I find helping patients through the recovery process to be most rewarding. No matter how prepared or educated you feel before having major surgery, you can never fully know how your body will react and or how fast you can get back to your usual routine while recovering. Post-surgical rehabilitation can be overwhelming, but I take pride in going above and beyond in making sure patients get the best care imaginable.

What do you feel is most challenging about being a nurse?

Because I am very involved with my patients and tend to see them as family, I think the most challenging part of being a nurse is having to leave work. Before the end of each shift, I do my best to make sure the other nurses understand all of the details involved in each patient’s case I’ve been working on to ensure the patient receives the best care from all the staff at our facility.

How has your prior training prepared you for a nursing career?

Nursing is unique in the sense that it’s both a science because of the technical skills and knowledge you possess, as well as an art because of the wisdom, compassion, and empathy you carry for your patients.

Why do you want to work here?

Upon researching this organization, I see myself being a good fit for this company because I agree with its vision, mission, and value statements.

How do you keep current with medical findings and practices?

Continuing my education is necessary for renewing my license as well as keeping skills fresh, while at the same time expanding my knowledge base by networking professionally.

Why did you want to become a nurse?

I wanted to work in an exciting career where I felt challenged. I like the variety of the nursing routine, and at the same time, I get to make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis.

Why should we hire you?

I am a team player who is loyal to my work. I understand how not giving my best every shift could affect my team as well as my patients. I am comfortable as a leader and take pride in working to ease my patient’s fears while alleviating their stress during procedures.

Landing a job as a nurse takes more than just interviewing questions well. Along with researching and preparing for the interview, you’ll want to make sure to dress appropriately. If you feel like you’ve done everything you can on your own to obtain a nursing career, but are still having trouble being hired, look into working with a recruitment agency that specializes in the healthcare industry.

At HealthCare Support (HSS), our recruitment firm has earned partnerships with prestigious healthcare organizations, which can help get you placed into the dynamic healthcare industry. We have experience putting administrative to executive level professionals in both clinical and non-clinical areas. To learn more about how we can help you begin your nursing career, along with other information relating to the services we provide, please call us at 407-478-0332.

Triage nurses play a vital role in the medical field. While working in a hospital, the triage nurse is first responsible for making an initial assessment, including a quick physical and mental evaluation, of all incoming patients in the emergency room.

To be successful in this position, you must be able to make fast decisions about the order in which patients need to receive treatment based on their medical needs. While this may seem like an easy task, it can be hard for many to handle the pressures of working in a continuously hectic and chaotic environment.

Education and Certification Requirements

To begin working in triage, you should complete a nursing degree program at an accredited school. Once you attain a formal degree, you can sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Earning an RN license will allow you to practice in a variety of settings.

Responsibilities of a Triage Nurse

As a triage nurse, you will need to understand how to quickly and correctly prioritize which patients will be seen in what order in accordance with need. The priority level of a patient depends on where their injury is sustained and is sorted by low priority, high priority, very high priority, and highest priority. Other daily responsibilities will include:

• Writing down relevant medical history
• Identifying whether a patient takes medications or suffers from allergies
• Measuring a patient’s weight, blood pressure, height, heart rate, and body temperature
• Cleaning and bandaging wounds
• Taking blood samples
• Providing patients with medications
• Stocking medical equipment supplies
• Moving patients to proper location

As more of the population gain access to healthcare, the demand for nurses working in the triage department continues to rise. Although the work environment can be stressful, you will be part of a rewarding career, by helping patients on a daily basis who are injured or ill.

If you’re looking to begin a career as a triage nurse, we can assist you with the resources you need. At HealthCare Support (HSS), we pride ourselves on being a trusted employment partner to many of the nation’s top healthcare organizations.

Our team of healthcare recruiters can help match you to employment opportunities which can help advance your career in both clinical and non-clinical settings. To discuss recruiting options with HSS, contact us today by calling 407-478-0332.

As baby boomers get older and Generation X has children, the demand for healthcare professionals will be higher than ever before. With healthcare jobs expected to grow by 22% in 2018, it’s easy to see why choosing a healthcare career is a smart move. If you’re interested in getting into the healthcare field, check out some of the most sought-after occupations.

Registered nurses

are one of the most in-demand careers in the entire United States. Those who follow the path to becoming a nurse will find ample job opportunities. Registered nurses assist physicians with providing treatment to patients who suffer from various medical conditions by administering medication, monitoring patient recovery and progress, and educating patients and their families on prevention and post-hospital care.

Home health aides

function as a caregiver to those who can’t leave their homes or live on their own. Job duties of a home health aide may include checking vital signs, administering medicines, and helping with daily tasks.

Medical assistants

complete a variety of administrative and clinical tasks in various work settings, including physician’s offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.

Pharmacy technicians

assist pharmacists in providing medication and healthcare products to patients. While technicians don’t answer questions regarding prescriptions, they help count tablets, label bottles, and perform administrative duties.

Medical secretaries

complete clerical duties in a medical office, which usually includes typing, maintaining files, and billing. Medical secretaries communicate with the public throughout the day by taking phone calls, making appointments, and greeting patients.

Dental assistants

carry out numerous tasks such as sterilizing instruments, taking x-rays, and teaching patients about the importance of dental care.

Medical records and health information technicians

manage millions of documents such as x-rays, medical histories, lab tests, and treatment plans produced by the healthcare industry. Each patient seen by a physician has detailed medical records, and their information needs to be kept organized and confidential.

Physical therapists

work with various kinds of patients including the disabled, the elderly, and those with general pain. Physical therapists examine each patient, develop a treatment plan, and implement specific treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.

EMT and paramedics

are dispatched by emergency operators in the event of medical emergencies such as car accidents, childbirth, violent traumas, heart attacks, and traumas. EMT and paramedics work in multiple settings including ambulances, hospitals, and helicopters, and are relied on to react quickly and be able to handle considerable amounts of stress.

Individuals who work in the healthcare industry contribute not only to the health of a person but their social well-being as well. If you’re interested in working in one of the most sought-after healthcare careers, we can help! HealthCare Support (HSS) is dedicated to placing top talent into the dynamic healthcare industry. To begin your partnership with us, join our Talent Network to enhance your job search and application process or apply to one of our current job openings.

After you have submitted your resume with an included cover letter for the healthcare job you want, you get a call back to come in and interview. Congratulations! Make sure you’re prepared to the best of your ability for your meeting by preparing yourself to answer questions often asked in interviews for healthcare jobs. You’ll be ready to deliver your answers with confidence and increase your chances of landing that position.

Why do you want to work in this industry?

Don’t tell a potential future employer that you just like to work in the healthcare industry. Focus on your job history within the particular industry and then tie in a success story, if possible. An example would be what you have done in a previous job to help improve the practice. Maybe you worked with upper management to help increase patient satisfaction rates in your clinic by 30% and feel gratified because you work in an industry you feel passionate about.

How do you handle stressful situations?

Working in healthcare can be stressful, so it is important to make it known that you can handle these situations as they arise. Avoid sharing a story about how you were stressed because you waited too long to finish a school project. Instead, explain a time at work when you were given a difficult task or multiple assignments that needed a lot of attention, and not only did you complete the tasks, but you finished them before they were due.

What is your greatest weakness?

This is one of the most popular questions interviewers ask. It’s also one of the most difficult to answer. You don’t want to present yourself negatively by saying a weakness of yours is working too hard. Discuss skills you have improved on while also taking an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. You could say that being organized wasn’t always your strongest suit, but you implemented a time management system that helped improve your organizational skills.

What are your healthcare career goals?

Employers want to know that you are ambitious. It’s a significant investment to hire a new employee and companies want to avoid spending time training someone who is only planning on being with their business for six months before heading abroad to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you love the field you’re in, let them know you would like to move up by increasing your on-the-job experience, and eventually earning a leadership role or even becoming head of your department in the future.

Why should we hire you?

This is your chance to show why you stand out from everyone else. Don’t just explain how you’re more qualified than the other candidates or that you need a job. Explain why you would make a good employee, what you can offer, and why you would be a good fit for their company. Keep your response brief making sure to highlight previous achievements.

Do you have any questions for me?

Instead of replying, “No, I think that’s everything.” Be prepared to ask some questions. This will show you want to learn as much as possible by having done some research before going into the interview. Try and ask questions that focus on you joining their team such as, “if I get the job, how soon can I start?” Try not to ask more than three or four questions, but remember to ask about the next steps to take going forward or when you may hear back from them.

Additional Tips to Consider

Other interview tips to keep in mind include:

• Dressing for your interview accordingly to fit with the organization and its culture.
• Arriving on time, relaxed and prepared.
• Making a good first impression by being authentic, upbeat, focused, confident, and concise.
• Remember your body language is just important as your speech so make sure you smile, keep eye contact, listen, and respond.

At the end of the interview, sell yourself and close the deal. Thank the interviewer(s) in person and then by phone or email. Following up may not land you the job, but it will certainly give you an advantage and remind the employer how interested you are in the position and how much you enjoyed speaking with them.

HealthCare Support (HSS) has over a decade of experience in healthcare recruitment committed to helping candidates throughout their professional journey. Our recruiters are healthcare specialists and provide tailored coaching and preparation before each interview. Stay up-to-date on our available opportunities when you join the HealthCare Support Talent Network today! To HSS, we don’t just want to find you a job; it’s our passion to find the perfect match for you.

It’s time for you to advance your career, and you’re ready to find a new job. Everything is set, and you notify your current employer of your move, but they don’t want you leaving. So instead, they present you with a counter offer. Do you take it?

What to Consider

There are reasons to argue for staying at your current job, but many would agree that moving on to a new position in a new company is the better option. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to accept a counter offer from your employer.

• You can potentially ruin the relationship between you and your employer if you choose to stay with your company after your boss finds out that you attempted to switch jobs. Your loyalty may be questioned, and if cutbacks happen or promotions are in order, your actions will not be forgotten.
• Keep in mind the reason they may be trying to get you to stay or why a pay rise only came when you threatened to leave. Did your higher-ups not realize your worth as an employee, or are they only trying to keep you around until they figure out if they actually need you or not?
• While an employee should never be looked down on for trying to advance their career, your employer and co-workers may, unfortunately, view you differently after they learn you sought to leave. Don’t forget that if you decided to leave in the first place because you were unhappy with your work environment, those factors would still be around if you accept a counter offer; are they worth the pay raise?
• Consider the company you almost worked for if you do take the counter offer. They were undoubtedly preparing for your arrival. By declining them at the last minute, your opportunity of working for them in the future may be effected, in the long run, stunting your career growth.

Find the Perfect Fit

If you are unhappy with your current job, or just looking to broaden your horizons, partner with the experts at HealthCare Support. Our Recruiting Consultants are trained to help you find the perfect job opening. For more information, call us today at 407-478-0332.

Jobs in the healthcare field aren’t going away, as people will always need medical attention. But some jobs seem to be growing more than others. We’ve put together a list of the top five jobs in healthcare, their average salaries, and how much they are expected to grow within the next ten years.

Physician Assistant

At an average $97,280 a year, PAs not only earn their keep, but their demand continues to grow, at 30% over the next decade to be exact. PAs do just about the same things as General Practitioners such as diagnosis, surgeries, and injection, bit they are required to be supervised by a licensed physician or surgeon.

Nurse Practitioner

With at 35% growth rate, nurse practitioners have the fastest growing positions in the health care industry. If you are an RN, you can become an NP with just a little more education. An NP’s typical duties involve noting patient’s history, ordering labs, and prescribing medicine.

OB Sonographer

The health and care of a mother’s baby while in the womb is one of the most important things to her, which is why OB Sonographers have a starting salary of about $65,000. As an OB Sonographer, you can expect to perform around eight to ten exams a day which includes operating ultrasound equipment, explaining specifics of the imaging to patients, and observing the weight of the fetus.  

Pharmacist

With an average annual salary of around $112,000 pharmacists earn their keep. Daily tasks that involve interpreting prescriptions, overseeing Drug-drug, drug-allergy, and high dose medications, routing prescriptions to appropriate personnel, and so much more, mean that you’ll never have a dull moment.

Phlebotomist

If you get queasy easily, this may not be the right job for you. As a phlebotomist, your main tasks each day will be to collect samples of urine and blood, so candidates for this position need to be comfortable with needles. You’ll also have to be able to best determine how to extract the blood from a patient, especially ones with thin or spotty veins, all while making sure the patient is experiencing a minimal amount of discomfort. Phlebotomists can make anywhere from $10 to $12 an hour, averaging around $23,000 a year.

Partner with Us

If you are looking for a job in the healthcare industry, or even seeking to advance your current career, HealthCare Support can help. With resources like interview tips and job openings, finding a job in healthcare has never been easier. We take the top talent in the industry and pair them with the best jobs in their area to make lasting relationships. To learn more, or to take advantage of all our vast resources, join our Talent Network.

No matter how well prepared you feel after graduating from nursing school, starting a new job as a Licensed Practical Nurse can be scary and overwhelming, especially when you’re starting at a long-term care facility. To quickly become accustomed to your new job, we’ve put together a list of the top four tips from nurses in the field on how to stay calm and organized while you acclimate to your new patients and facility.

Make a List

Each patient you will encounter is unique, and therefore has their own way of doing things If they are a regular patient of yours, write down their name and a list of the meds they take and how they take Do they need the pills to be crushed? Are they taken with certain beverages? Doing this will prevent you from running back and forth, saving you valuable time.

Be Patient

Speed comes with time. Don’t set your expectations so high, especially when you are first starting out, or else you’ll get discouraged too easily. Take your time with things, so you do them right, and keep a cool head. Eventually, your daily routines will become muscle memory, and the rate at which you get them done will never be an issue.

Ask Questions

And be open to criticism. If you encounter older or more experienced LPNs willing to give you advice; listen to them. They know the ropes of your new facility, and will often be able to give you specific tricks and tips on how to handle the most difficult patients or co-workers.

If You’re Working with CNAs, Respect Them

As the ones who get down and dirty, certified nursing assistance are often undervalued. Treat them with respect, even if they do not live up to your expectations, and your whole facility will run smoother. If you notice they have forgotten to turn, bathe, or give proper assistance to a patient, gently remind them. They’ll be grateful you cared enough to tell

How We’ll Help

If you’re fresh out of school or just looking for a new job in the healthcare industry, HealthCare Support can help you. Search for jobs, join our network, or check out some of the resources we have available tailored just for you. With the ever-changing demands of the healthcare industry, you’ll need someone like us on your side. For more information, give us a call today at 407-478-0332.

When it comes to interviewing for a dream job, a lot of the responsibility rests on you to make a good impression. However, knowing what to wear or how to prepare can only get you so far in some cases. A lot also depends upon how your interviewer is feeling. One way to ensure that the person conducting your interview is attentive and open, is to schedule your meeting at a specific time. Here are some tips on how to decide what time would be best to set up an interview with a particular company.

Try to avoid Fridays

Unless suggested by the hiring manager, Fridays are normally not good days to hold an interview. The office will either be winding down from the past week or thinking about their weekend plans. Either way, interviewing on a Friday may result in a distracted interviewer. Opt for one of the ‘hump days’ in the middle of the work week when the interviewer will be more focused and grounded in their work.

Don’t let them go hungry

Some say the best time for an interview is around 10:30, when the day is still fresh, but it isn’t too close to lunch. Avoid dealing with a hungry interviewer by either scheduling your meeting well before lunch, or a little bit after lunch.

The early bird gets the worm

In situations where the company you’re interviewing for needs to make a decision quickly, you always want to be their first option. Find out how soon they are looking to fill the position, or if they sound frantic about it. If so, take the soonest available slot they have open. Almost always, when a company needs a quick hire and there is not much to be deliberated, they’ll go with their first option.

The Time is Now

The interviewing process is delicate, and timing is everything. We at HealthCare Support understand that, which is why we’ve pulled together tools to help you find jobs that are a good fit for you in the healthcare industry. We also provide you with resources to help you nail any interviews you schedule. Now is the time for you to get that job you’ve always wanted, and we can help. To learn more, give us a call at 407-478-0332.