RN Interview Help Archives - RNInterview Tools

How does one get an interview in the coveted area of Mom Baby, Labor & Delivery, OB, NICU?

How do I stand out in the interview?

Help – Advice for those whose passion is Mom Baby, Perinatal, L&D.

Take certification courses for that specialty like NRP, ACLS, NRP, STABLE, EFM, Breastfeeding Friendly Lactation Courses.

Join professional nursing organizations dedicated to that specialty like AWHONN and ACOG.

Hint – The job posting will usually tell you what they require / recommend. Their website will provide other keywords and phrases you can use that resonates with you.

Lots of things you can do to get noticed.

Like :

Are you Baby Friendly?

Did you completed a preceptorship in this area?

Volunteered in Mom Baby capacity?

Doula?

IBCLC?

Knowledgeable about perinatal issues?

Hit all the keywords in your application to get past ATS in HR?

On LinkedIn?

Networking with those already working in this area?

Apply to Med Surg / OB combined units. Get your experience and then transfer as an internal applicant to L&D or NICU! I know Sutter Hospitals do this.

Once you get the interview – you need to already be ready.

If your passion is perinatal you should know basics like PPH, eclampsia, meds routinely used and clinical scenarios and how to respond. Also NRP & Latch Score. Is this hospital Baby Friendly and what that means.

Know you answers to all behavioral based questions. We have a ton of examples with answers if you search “Interview Question” within our FB group RNInterview Tools and look around.

Confidence, teamwork, using your team, chain of command, safety and fitting are key in an interview.

Have your”Pitch” ready too. Why should we hire you?

Have your “Portfolio” ready. Take it!

Wear the suit – professional dress. First impressions are everything.

“Body Language” be confident. Yes – the interview is supposed to be a test. They want to see if you can handle the stress of their floor. Show them you can.

“Follow up” & “Thank you notes”. Yes, we suggest always writing a quick thank you in an email or note card and always follow up!

Read the “Files” section in our FB RNInterview Tools group. There are several documents in the files section from a member who took a class at Washington Hospital with lots of basic info. Look for them.

For those interviewing for NICU or MOM BABY, a question to ask may be “How do you get your newborns out quickly if there is an emergency or natural disaster?” Show that you are always thinking patient safety.

Yes, landing a Mom Baby position can be frustrating in an over saturated market. But, it can be done with persistence.

If you are applying online, one needs to really target their app, cover letter and resume.

The Best Way to get into maternal child is to know somebody. Network! Call managers and ask if they have any needs and how you can help. Reach out to your preceptors and professors and state your intention, they make help!

Many will say that doula experience “does not count” per many managers BUT some like seeing it and will appreciate it.

What a hiring manager deems important is very selective to their needs and what they believe a nurse should be.

Frustrating I know!!

My advice is to tell them what they want to know. Really read the job posting and restate what they want, that you have!

Many New Grad Nurses and Experienced Nurses have transitioned to Mom Baby.

You can certainly do it too.

Questions You Can Ask Throughout Your Registered Nurse Interview

1. What do you look for in an ideal candidate?

2. What are some of the common errors made on your unit?

3. What is the biggest challenge this unit faces over the next few years?

4. How may I be involved in quality improvement & patient safety projects on the unit?

5. What is interdisciplinary communication like here?

6. What have been some of the biggest struggles you have seen with new grads, and what can be done to avoid them?

7. On a specific unit you can ask about core measure protocols.

8. Is there anything I have said or done that you would like clarification on? (Be careful with this one. You have to walk that fine line of being humble and not cocky.)

9. Ask what weaknesses they have seen in new hires that I can learn from.

10. Ask interviewer why they love working here.

Remember to make the interview a conversation!

This means that you must ask them questions.

After you answer one of their questions, and before you stop talking, you ask them a question, and then stop talking. Most managers will answer your questions.

If they say, “We will take questions at the end,” then you wait until the end.

At the very end of an interview, do not forget to ask, “How do I follow up?”

1. Ask for the best way to contact them.

2. Ask what their timeline to hire is.

Join our RNInterview Tools Facebook Group for more ideas!

Be well ~ Melissa

How To Land A New Grad Nurse Job In Mom Baby, L&D, NICU, or OB.