Image: Adam Gregor | Veer

Wondering which questions you’ll be asked during your nursing interview? You should expect the usual ones, such as “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and “What’s your greatest weakness?”

But then there are more colorful questions, such as “What animal best describes you?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you?” that you should brace yourself for.

Regardless of what questions get thrown your way, there are a handful of interview questions you should never be asked as a nurse. Be aware — questions about subjects in these categories violate your rights:

Age
National origin
Birthplace
Race
Color
Religion
Disability
Sex
Marital/family status

However, don’t assume an employer’s prying questions are suggestive of discriminatory intentions. Often, a hiring manager is just trying to assess your fit for the job, not trying to illegally discriminate. After all, as a nurse, you’ll often deal with patients from all sorts of backgrounds and beliefs. While you can’t be asked directly about any of these topics, don’t be surprised if you find yourself discussing your family or religion either. It all depends on how the question is phrased.

While it’s important to protect yourself from illegal nursing interview questions, there are legal alternatives to get the same information out of you. Be prepared and know your options by checking out these six examples of illegal interview questions, and how they can be rephrased to pass the law.

Next: “Are You a U.S. Citizen?” –>

Image: Jupiterimages | Creatas | Getty Images

Greetings everyone! New apps are appearing all the time, so I thought I’d compile an updated list of my top 10 iPhone applications for nurses.

These are applications that I believe have the potential to make the art and science of nursing easier for us, the clinical nurse.

So without delay, and in no particular order of preference…

Top 10 iPhone apps for nurses — Summer 2010 edition

1. Fast Facts – The Kathy White Fast Facts library is now made for the iPhone! A slew of valuable emergency and critical care information is right at your fingertips. No more carrying around her very good (but sometimes bulky!) handbook.

2. MedCalc – A free medical calculator. Correct sodium for hyperglycemia, calculate body surface area and much more.

3. Pedi-STAT – Do you work in a pediatric ER or ICU or take care of potentially ill children? Pedi-STAT is for you. Think of it as a length-based color-coded tape for the iPhone. Input child’s weight or height and instantly access tube sizes and drug doses for many critical situations.

4. Infuse – A revamped version of the old Palm-based InfusiCalc (which will be coming to the iPhone in the near future) allows you to input all of your hospital’s drug concentrations, and you can quickly, easily and reliably calculate infusion boluses and drips.

5. Nursing Central – From Unbound Medicine, a leader in Palm applications for several years, this app carries Davis’s Drug Guide, Davis’s Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, Diseases and Disorders, Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis, Medline journals and a Taber’s dictionary.
6. Lytes – A quick review of electrolyte disorders, clinical findings and treatments.

7. iMurmur – A very nice review and collection of heart sounds. Bone up on these and impress the cardiologists!

8. VisualDx – Having a hard time figuring out rashes? I know I do. VisualDx allows you to build a differential diagnosis of rashes by simply inputting your findings and patient information. Helps narrow it down quickly AND provides treatment information.

9. Epocrates – The “basic” version, which is available for free, allows you to always have up-to-date drug information at your fingertips. The annual subscription version also provides information on diseases, infections, pill identification, medical calculators and tables of pertinent, clinical information.

10. Eponyms – Don’t recall what Virchow’s triad is? Look it up as well as more than 1,000 other eponyms with this free (to students) or otherwise inexpensive application. It’s perfect for a working stiff like me!

Image: Goodshoot | Thinkstock

Frustrated by unemployment, nurses?

Job hunting is tricky business. Getting hired as a nurse is a subtle mix of the right qualifications, enough experience, interview chemistry, and a dash of luck. Assuming you’re making all the right moves and avoiding the really obvious job seeker mistakes, there are a few points to consider that could be your ticket out of unemployment.

Get out of your job search rut and back in the hospital by fixing these mistakes you might be making:

1. Job Description

Read it. Do you meet every qualification listed? If you think you can get away by not having that extra few years of experience or make do without the requested higher degree, think again. Job descriptions are a baseline for hiring managers. With so many job applicants, recruiters are naturally going to pick the best of the best, and that means you’ve got to meet every single one of the job requirements, at the very least. But that doesn’t mean you should give up, either. If you find yourself not meeting a certain job requirement time after time, do something about it! Take a certificate course, or brush up on your bedside manner. Nothing shows dedication like taking action.

2. Word Play

It’s not enough to have a clean resume free of grammar and spelling errors; you’ve got to go that extra mile. No matter how amazing your resume looks, everything lies in the words. If the hiring manager has to decipher your resume jargon, don’t expect a call back. Phrase your nursing resume with the right keywords. Use powerful words that imply action and sell your experiences by highlighting specific achievements and accomplishments. The right health care keywords are your best bet to getting your resume on top of the pile.

3. Job Search Tactics

Browsing through the classifieds? Going through Human Resources? Looking at hospital websites for job leads? One reason your search for a nursing job may have hit a dead end is because your methods are outdated. Get with the 21st century and go online! The right social network can connect you directly with the job you want. Use Monster to find jobs in your field, post a resume and find your calling with their new Career Mapping tool, and LinkedIn and NursingLink to maintain your connections. Spread yourself out and try something new — you never know which method will work!

Next: Not the Right Fit >>

Image: Hemera | Thinkstock

Okay, let’s say that lately you’re exhausted with being a nurse. You’ve lost your mojo and making rounds has turned from a pleasure to a chore. Your paycheck just doesn’t seem worth the hours, heart and soul you put into it.

It’s called a job for a reason, but remember, it could always be worse — the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. In fact, it could be quite smelly and dangerous.

Remember all of those times you’ve said, “You couldn’t pay me to do that?” when confronted with a vomit-inducing task? Well, someone does do that for a living. So be thankful for your health care job. You could be working in one of these fields.

Crime Scene Cleaner

No, cleaning up blood and guts is not as glamorous as CSI may have you believe. This job is grisly. Besides sweeping up rotting body parts and other biological waste, cleaners may be called in to mop up hazardous fluids, dangerous chemicals, and illegal drugs. If you’ve got an iron stomach and strong will, this job is all yours.

Body secretions galore –>

Image: Comstock | Thinkstock

So how does bias run rampant in the staff room? Long story short, men and women are judged, rewarded, and even punished differently for doing the same nursing job.

Unjustified and unfair? Yes. But the harsh reality remains. The only way to climb the corporate ladder is to recognize how male nurses control the power and alter your behavior accordingly. You’ve got to play the game to get to the top.

Here we explore a few common stereotypes, misperceptions and actions that encourage or maintain gender inequity:

Men are assertive. Women are aggressive.

Men are passionate. Women are emotional.

Men scream. Women mutter.

Men steer. Women support.

Image: A pyro | © Veer Incorporated

These days, moving up is less like climbing a ladder and more like picking your way through a maze.

How to navigate that maze? Go back to the basics: The tried and true methods that make for a successful career.

So then…why do we refer to the following “tried and true” tips as “secrets?” They must be, because so few of your fellow nurses use them!

]]> http://scrubsmag.com/8-secrets-to-get-ahead-in-nursing/feed/ 1 http://scrubsmag.com/too-tattooed-to-be-a-nurse/ http://scrubsmag.com/too-tattooed-to-be-a-nurse/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:09:07 +0000 Marijke Durning http://scrubsmag.com/?p=15913

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Celebrities have them, neighbors have them, family and friends have them. But should nurses?

Yes, tattoos have become so mainstream they can be found just about everywhere. There are television shows about tattoo artists and tattoo conventions held all over the world. But the ubiquity of tattoos doesn’t mean they’re okay for everyone, and hospitals and other healthcare settings often have different guidelines about whether they’re acceptable.

Nursing School and Tattoos

Students who enter nursing school may very likely be told they can’t have visible tattoos. For instance, in most schools it’s standard policy that tattoos on the forearm must be covered with sleeves, and those on the hand, wrist, neck or face must be covered in some way.

The nursing student dress code at Missouri Southern State University stipulates as of November 2009 that tattoos are only permitted if they cannot be seen while the students are in uniform. Students may not cover up their tattoos with bandages, nor should tattoos be visible under short-sleeve scrubs. The administration’s position is that they are preparing student nurses for what they may face when looking for work as graduate nurses.

But tatted nursing students, don’t despair. While MSSU’s policy isn’t out of line with other universities, it does seem to be stricter. Student nurses at Pittsburg State University (Kansas), Crowder College and St. John’s Regional Medical Center must cover their tattoos, but they are not restricted to only covering with their short-sleeved scrubs. Bandages are permitted.

A final note about tattoos and nursing schools: Not only should you check the policies from school to school, but also be wary of policies that can vary between the nursing school and the clinical facilities the school uses. For instance, a student may be in accordance with the dress code at her nursing school, but may find that the facility for her clinical experience has its own set of policies that are completely different.

Hospitals and Tattoos

The acceptance of tattoos on a hospital nursing staff varies by facility. A short stroll through online nursing forums will show stories of nurses with visible full sleeves (tattoos covering a whole arm) or just a few visible tattoos treating patients. But in other facilities, visible tattoos are never seen on the nurses.

A facility’s stand on visible tattoos can usually be found in its dress code policy. Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s dress code for nurses clearly prohibits the following: “Visible or gross tattooing on face, neck, arms or hands; tattoos 1 inch in size—graphic/disturbing, e.g., displaying violence, drugs, sex, alcohol, tobacco products.” However, there is also a note stating that some departments may have stricter dress code requirements. Bottom line: The best thing to do when you arrive at a new job or have acquired a new tattoo is to ask your department about its specific policy regarding your body art.

Armed Services and Tattoos

Think that becoming a nurse in the armed forces will get you off the hook? Not necessarily. The words “Navy” and “tattoo” used to go hand in hand, but the face of the armed forces is changing, as is the art of tattooing. Not surprisingly, the armed services have their own rules about what is acceptable. An inside source in the Navy explained to me that visible tattoos can have a strong impact on your movement up the Navy ranks. In fact, in some, if you have tattoos on certain parts of the body, you’ll need a waiver to be promoted.

These include:

• Above a crewneck collar
• On the throat or neck
• On the face or scalp

Any tattoos on the visible part of your arm are subject to certain conditions. They cannot be:

• Bigger than the width of your hand, and the length from fingertip to base of the palm
• Racist or sexually explicit
• Encourage or advocate discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, ethnicity or national origin
• Symbols of gangs or supremacist or extremist groups

And finally, any tattoos elsewhere on the body must not be visible through the fabric of white uniforms.

What do you think about tattoos? Do you have any? There are still administrators who don’t like the idea of tattoos as they feel body art doesn’t look professional. Also, keep in mind that not all cultures are accepting of tattoos, particularly on women. If you’re working in a very conservative area or in a multicultural one where tattoos may be an issue, does this change your opinion on whether a facility may dictate if you have tattoos?

Sources:

http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/root/vumc.php?site=vanderbiltnursing&doc=13152

http://www.newstribune.com/articles/2009/11/08/news_state/053state21tat09.txt

First, take a deep breath. Responding in haste isn’t going to do you—or anybody else—any good.

Check with your state board of nursing. Fifteen states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and West Virginia) have restrictions on mandatory overtime, so ask what’s allowed. While covering for a sick coworker doesn’t usually fall under the allowable uses of mandatory overtime, you may be required to stay in case of an emergency or a disaster.

Then speak calmly to your nurse manager or supervisor. Draw attention to the law, if applicable, and express your concerns. Don’t dwell on your kids or house guests; instead, focus on your desire to provide top-quality care. Numerous studies have shown that fatigued nurses are more likely to make mistakes.

If you’re not protected by law, you may need to stay; leaving could constitute patient abandonment. Do your best, then document the circumstances of your overtime. If mandatory overtime is a consistent problem on your unit, you may need to reach out to risk management or nursing administration for additional support.

Image: Ryan McVay | Photodisc | Thinkstock

Everything was going so well. Your firm handshake and professional demeanor got you a warm smile from the head nurse. The interview started off with some small talk that turned into some skillfully answered questions. You can just about see what your average shift is going to look like.

Then, just like that, the nursing interview takes a turn for the worse.

Whether it’s a question you weren’t prepared for or an answer that falls flat, it’s easy to tell when a nursing interview has gone off course. And it’s quite possibly the most nerve-wracking, upsetting, desperate experience a job seeker can suffer.

As a nurse, you probably know that you can make the best of a bad situation, no matter how dire. However, saving a bad interview takes quick thinking and persistence — exactly the qualities you’ll need to be good at your job. Are you up to the challenge?

Click thru for solutions to the five most common sticky situations:

1. Drawing a blank
2. The devil’s advocate
3. No chemistry
4. Sweaty palms syndrome
5. Too little, too late

Sticky Situation #1: Drawing a blank –>

Image: Photodisc | Thinkstock

Nurses are busy enough taking care of patients, calming families, and keeping doctors updated on cases. Don’t let a silly email mistake ruin your shift! In this age of BlackBerry-toting professionals connected by email around globe, it’s crucial to abide by the written (and unwritten) rules of email communication. You don’t want to embarrass yourself, do you?

Don’t send another message without this checklist in mind:

Fit for Email or Text?

Email’s speed and effectiveness is perfect for sending important message about a new swine flu outbreak or some other hospital emergency. But is it the best way to deliver every message? Are you sending an email about your vacation plans? Or are you responding to a message riddled with patient questions and clarification requests? Picking up the phone or chatting face-to-face with fellow nurses could cut down on time-wasting (and highly unproductive) back-and-forth prattle, which saves everyone time and energy. Remember, one size doesn’t fit all, so make sure an email is the correct mode of communication.

Who’s your target audience? –>