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The National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) is a nonprofit organization found in 1952. It is open for students who are enrolled in associate, bachelor, diploma and other nursing programs.

 

Currently the organization holds more than 60,000 members from throughout the United States. NSNA is lead by a Board of Directors, where the members are elected at the Annual Organizational Convention. In addition to the main Convention, there are other conferences held throughout the year at various locations.

 

The Association is a great place to build professional relationships, find mentors and build critical skills for a great Nursing career.

 

To get more information about NSNA, visit – http://www.nsna.org/
For more updated information about Student Nurses’ Association of South Carolina, visit, – http://www.sna-sc.org/
For technology updates and nursing apps, visit http://www.elegantmedia.com.au/
To learn more about medicine, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

Tips for Finding Job Vacancies for Graduate Nurses

The time after graduation is probably one of the hardest times of your career. Most hospitals are willing to hire nurses with one or two years of commercial experience and sometimes it could be frustrating to send out many applications before you get a reply.

It could seem like there are no opportunities at times, but you should never give up in your hunger to get ahead in your career. If you think you’ve tried everything possible in your search or if you’re just starting out on your search for job vacancies, here are some tips to make sure you’re taking the right steps.

 

  1. Get a professional to write your application.
    Always get a professional to write your application. Most universities have career guidance units who will do this for free of charge, but get it done. Even if you need to spend some money to get it written, it will pay off in multiples during your career.
  2. Don’t send the same application for all vacancies
    Most nursing candidates send out the same job application for all positions. Instead take some time to research on the position. Find out through LinkedIn who will be reviewing the applications, and write a specific cover letter addressing the key requirements in your application. A specific cover letter and an application for a position show that you can pay attention to details.
  3. Take people out for coffee or casual chat
    Most students are not that comfortable doing this. But if you can invite some of the HR managers to get some advice, it will put you above other candidates. But never ask for a job during an informal meeting. Your purpose should be to genuinely get advice on how to be a better candidate.
  4. Go to industry events and Meetup Groups
    Student events are great to meet other students, but if you want to meet professionals, you should to go to paid industry events. A free alternative is Meetup groups. See relevant Meetup groups for healthcare professionals and aim to at least attend one a week.

 

You goal during your final year and after graduation is to build professional relationships. Remember, 80% of available jobs are never advertised and they’re filled through personal recommendations and relationships.

Nursing Interview Tips and Interview Questions

After you have the basic qualifications covered, eventually you’ll have to face an interview. It’s essential that you prepare for this interview in advance. If you have the answers prepared and practiced beforehand, your mind will be at ease to handle the tough questions that you may come across.

When it comes to tough interview questions, the interviewer is not looking for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. What they’re looking for is how comfortable will you be in handling a new situation, where an answer is not known yet.

A little practice in the following questions could help you a lot to get the position.

Basic Questions 

  1. So, tell me a little bit about yourself.
    This is the most common interview question, and surprisingly most people don’t answer it right. The real question behind this is, ‘Let’s have a chat. Give me a 1-2min summary of your education, qualifications and how you suit to this role’. They’re not asking about your hobbies, high-school or things you do on a weekend.
  2. Why did you choose nursing?
  3. Did you do some other part-time work during studies?
  4. What are your strengths?
  5. What are your weaknesses?
  6. How much do you know about us and this position?
  7. Why do you want to work here?
  8. How would your friends describe you?
  9. How would your past-employer/lecturer describe you?
  10. What are the questions you have for us?

 

Behavioural Questions

  1. Give me an example of a situation where you had a conflict with someone (professional or personal) and how you handled it.
  2. Give me an example of a high-pressure situation you had to work in, and how you handled it.
  3. What was the most difficult patient/hospital situation you’ve had?
  4. Give me some examples of team projects you’ve done, and the outcome.

 

Situational Questions 

Beyond these, you’re likely to be asked some situational questions, where they would give you a scenario, and ask how you would handle it. So the answer for this should be based on how you would approach the situation with safety as a priority and care and compassion.