Congratulations! You have made it to the interview process. Your resume caught the eye of the hiring manager, probably because you followed these 10 resume tips for a travel nurse. Now take a deep breath, and get ready for the interview. Most hiring managers have a short list of candidates they are interviewing so make sure you set yourself apart. The best way to set yourself apart is to prepare for the interview. This article outlines 15 questions to ask during your travel nurse interview.
It doesn’t matter if your interview is in-person or over the phone. These 15 questions to ask during your travel nurse interview will help. Be sure you accept your next assignment, make sure you have these questions answered.
15 Questions To Ask During Your Travel Nurse Interview
What are your expectations for a travel nurse? This is a great open-ended question. Different managers have different expectations about travel nurses. They have different expectations about how charting is done, how travelers should ask questions, and how to deal with any issues encountered during their shifts.
What qualities do you think are most important for the nurse in this role? This question allows you to get an idea of what qualities the hiring manager values. It could be team work, communication, a whatever it takes mindset. Whatever their answer, be sure you speak to the qualities they are looking for with specific examples.
What is your floating policy? Host Healthcare Recruitment Director Michael Kaplan always mentions this topic to his prospective travelers. “The idea of floating can make nurses nervous. That’s why I make it a point to bring it up to my travelers and tell them to make sure they understand the policy of the facility they are applying for before they accept.” There is certainly an expectation that travel nurses can float during an assignment. Thus, it’s a good question to ask during the interview.
What are the strengths of your unit? Another great question to get some valuable insight. Depending on their answer can shine a light on how you can contribute to the unit. It also gives you insight on things you might need to work on to fit in.
What is the process for escalating an issue? The unfortunate part of being a nurse is that things come up. Dealing with a patient, speaking with a family, working with co-workers. Things come up. That’s why it’s a good idea to know how to work through the proper channels.
What type of systems and technology do you use? While most facility technologies are similar, some have subtle differences. In addition, you might have experience using their systems that you can speak to.
How are schedules created? Knowing how scheduling works is important so that you have an idea on expectations week in and week out.
What’s your policy on picking up extra shifts? Speaking of schedules, picking up extra shifts is common for travel nurses. It’s not something you have to do frequently. But it is good to know the policy.
Is it possible I could be cancelled on a shift? Most assignments from Host Healthcare are full time. However, it is good to know if there are shift cancellation possibilities. Better to know ahead of time.
How many travelers do you staff? This is a very telling question. A facility might check all the boxes on paper. But hearing how many travelers they staff tells you something. Either travelers have not been treated well there or they are not valued. On the other hand, they could staff travelers frequently which should give you reassurance that this is indeed a great place to work.
How many travel nurses extend or come back? Again, another very telling question. Most travelers will try a facility once. But if they extend or come back and travel again that means they really liked it.
Do you ever extend travelers? This is a great question to ask if you are interested in spending additional assignments at the facility. Thirteen weeks can pass quickly and it is helpful to know from the outset if an extension is even an option from the hospital’s perspective.
What kind of orientation do you give for travelers? Orientation programs can differ from facilities. That’s why it’s good to know what this specific facility offers. Is it one day? One week? These orientations can help you learn how the hospital works and where to go for answers.
What is the area like? Don’t think that all questions have to be work specific. It’s good to mix in a casual question. What is traffic like? What are fun things to see in the city? These types of fun, light hearted questions can be a great way to connect with the hiring manager.
Are there any uniform requirements? Every facility is different. Don’t think that one facilities policy is the same for others. You might only have a few scrub options. If so, you want to know if there is a specific requirement in case you need to get new scrubs.
Hopefully after reading this blog you are more comfortable about what to ask during your next interview. Bookmark this page so you can always reference our list of 15 questions to ask during your travel nurse interview.
Host Healthcare Travel Nurse
Host Healthcare offers an extensive list of travel nurse jobs. Call one of our friendly recruiters at (844) 812-8094.
