The funny thing about interviewing for a job as a nurse is that all the things we ‘think’ we need to do and say aren’t usually as important as we make them out to be. Then there are those areas where we think we have it in the bag, only to find out that isn’t what the hospital administrator was looking for at all. For those seeking careers in nursing, here are some helpful advice that most may never have thought of.

Getting to the Interview

There is no secret that there is a critical shortage of nurses in literally every state in the union. There is not one state that can say they have all the nurses, doctors and support staff needed and as a result, too many nurses don’t understand the importance of their nursing résumé. Just because you have credentials that say you’ve successfully passed a course and are now an LPN, an RN or even an RN with a specialty certification, doesn’t mean you will be a good fit with that provider.
Hint: A properly written and well thought out nursing résumé will get you to the interview.

Skills You Didn’t Learn in Nursing School

The one area many nurses fail to emphasize on their résumé is soft skills. These are those traits that make you a good fit for literally any job in any industry, but not something you can actually learn in school. These include communication skills, leadership skills, and a sense of professionalism about everything you do. Highlight these on your résumé and you are sure to get to the interview.
Hint: Don’t forget to mention these soft skills in the interview as well! They got you this far, now let them get you even farther.

Why Does What You Wear Matter?

Do not overlook the importance of what you wear to the interview. Many budding nurses feel that style isn’t in the least bit important since they will be wearing a uniform at work. That’s absolutely the wrong way to go about looking at it! No, you don’t need to go to an interview in Prada or Armani, but you do have to be well groomed and a bit stylish. You certainly don’t want to go to an interview looking like a cyclone threw your wardrobe together.
Hint: We are taught never to judge a book by its cover but, unfortunately, we are judged by our appearance. It’s a quirk of human nature.

My Say

The funny thing about interviewing for a job as a nurse is that what you would expect to happen is usually the opposite of what hospital administrators and doctors are looking for. It is becoming increasingly obvious that technology is taking over the world of diagnostics and scheduling, which puts the role of nursing on a different level. Today’s nurses need to be more personable than ever before in their means of communicating with patients because technology already has them on edge. They feel more like a ‘number’ and less like a patient. If you want to land the perfect job of your dreams as a nurse, highlight these life skills, these ‘soft skills’ and it’s a sure thing – one more foot in the door.