According to recent reporting by the American Nurses Association, the U.S. may soon need to confront a nursing shortage—and these concerns existed even before the crush of the enduring COVID-19 pandemic.
The ANA notes that, by 2022, there will be far more registered nurse jobs available than any other profession. This will total more than 100,000 per year. And with more than 500,000 seasoned RNs anticipated to retire by 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new RNs for expansion and replacement of retirees, and to avoid a problematic nursing shortage.
This means promising job opportunities for nurses inside national and local care facilities, including The GreenFields Continuing Care Community.
Located in the heart of Lancaster, The GreenFields has been providing various levels of health care to individuals of all faiths and walks of life on a daily basis since 1998. We employ more than 400 people, all dedicated to the physical, social, and spiritual needs of the individuals they serve. This includes our team of dedicated registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, and home health aides.
But before one can be hired for one of these positions at The GreenFields or elsewhere, there’s the job interview. Each nursing interview is different and more comprehensive, depending on position. However, each nursing interview has key questions that applicants should prepare to answer decisively, and with detailed responses.
Here are four that every candidate and aspiring nurse should be ready to address in a nursing interview:
1. Education and experience
These details are usually addressed in the resume. Expanding off these bullets to relay elements of educational background or clinical experience can provide an applicant with a solid foundation. This could help make a great first impression in any interview.
2. The position and place
Applicants will obviously know what’s to be expected of an RN or LPN. Do they know what will be expected of these positions within their host facility though? Knowing the ins-and-out of the location you’re applying to occupy helps show you’ve done your homework. Also, it will show that you will be ready to navigate the terrain on your first day.
3. Your strengths—and why they’re so important
Anyone can’t list a series of desirable, cookie-cutter attributes in a job interview. But when it comes to citing your qualifications for a given nursing opening, why are your abilities so specific to you—and how could they provide unique assistance to your new team? Being able to detail this distinction could separate you from the pack while also displaying an assuredness that any nursing staff needs.
4. Availability
The nursing profession isn’t a 9-to-5 career. Schedules vary, but a hire may often fit specific time commitments that may not be conducive to every applicants’ schedule. That’s why it’s crucial to know your availability to the hour, or know whether flexibility in this availability would be possible upon hiring or in the future. It could be the difference between a rejection or the start of a great career—so have your calendar committed to memory.
If you or anyone you know has an interest in a nursing career with The GreenFields Continuing Care Community, please apply on our website at thegreenfields.org/careers.
