Interview Tips When Applying For A Travel Nurse Position

When you decide it’s time to become a travel nurse, you will need to go through some formalities with the medical and travel companies you hope to get a contract with. Just like with any career move, you will need to go through an interview or two to work as a travel nurse.

A majority of the time, recruiters will do interviews over the phone – of course, unless you actually live in the area they are located. Once you've completed your agency interview, you may also need to interview with the facility where you'll be working. Here is what that process looks like.

The Travel Nurse Interview Process With A Hospital

Not all contracts require a hospital interview. However, if yours does, this is what you can expect. Generally, travel nurses will go through several rounds of interviews, including with an HR representative for the healthcare facility, the nurse manager of the specific unit, and possibly the nursing director and another staff member. These interviews are utilized to find individuals who will fit the needs of the unit as well as be flexible, dynamic, and well-versed in bedside care.

 

Common Travel Nursing Interview Questions

Most interview questions are fairly similar for travel nurses because the managers want to know how you will respond in a medical emergency, how you will handle a difficult patient, how you will mesh with your co-workers, and more importantly what makes you stand out amongst the others.

Travel nursing interviews usually occur while still on another assignment so they frequently occur over the phone which can be helpful. It allows a potential travel nurse to have a list of questions and possible answers ready in case they get nervous.

So what kind of questions could a manager ask? Here is a list of common questions seen during travel nurse interviews:

1. Why are you the best candidate for this position?
2. Tell me about a specific time you had an encounter with a hard to handle patient/family member/staff member.
3. What are your specific strengths as a nurse?
4. What are your specific weaknesses as a nurse?
5. How do you respond to high-stress situations?
6. What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
7. Why do you want this specific position?
8. What type of hospitals have you worked in before? Teaching? Trauma? Community?
9. What kind of patient ratios are you used to?
10. What unit(s) have you worked in?
11. How do you stay current with the nursing profession?
12. What are some of the biggest challenges facing nursing today?
13. What specific skills do you have that set you apart from other nurses?
14. Why did you leave your current position? (if a first-time travel nurse)
15. What are your future career goals?
16. What changes have you contributed to established practices to improve patient care?
17. Can you describe frustrations you have personally dealt with as an RN and how you resolved them?
18. What was a typical day in your previous job like?
19. Tell me an example of a time you disagreed with the plan of care for the patient.
20. Do you consider yourself a good team player? Why?
21. How do you prefer to learn? By doing, explanation, demonstration?

Questions To Ask When Interviewing As A Travel Nurse

The interview is also a time to ask the hospital representative, nurse manager, or staff member questions about the position, unit, and patient population. Most managers are expecting questions so even if you think you know the answer from research or other hospital employees — it is always best to ask the manager directly.

You might only have one chance to ask these questions, so it’s important that you feel comfortable with all of the information so that if you are offered the position, you have all of the answers. Commonly asked questions by potential travel nurses include:

1. What is the typical patient-to-nurse ratio in the unit?
2. What are the major short/long-term objectives for this facility?
3. Will I be floated to other units in the hospital? If so, what units?
4. How does the cancellation of travel nurses work in your unit?
5. What are the current challenges of nurses in the unit?
6. What is the typical patient population? Census? Bed number?
7. What is the orientation process like for travel nurses? How many days of orientation will I receive?
8. What other medical professionals do nurses collaborate with on a day-to-day basis?
9. Is overtime available? Is it ever mandated?
10. What are the strengths of your unit?
11. What is the policy for escalating a problem or concern?
12. How many travelers do you staff on the unit?
13. Why do you currently need travel nurses?
14. Is there a uniform requirement?
15. Am I allowed to pick my own schedule, or is it assigned to me? How does the switch process work?
16. Does this assignment carry the possibility of an extension?
17. What charting system is used? Will I be expected to act as a translator for other nurses? (Ask if bilingual)
18. What is the policy for breaks/lunch?

Interviews are an essential component of the hiring process for travel nurses. Becoming comfortable talking about yourself, your accomplishments, and your abilities is key to securing your next contract.

 

FAQs and Tips For a Travel Nurse Interview From a Recruiter

Long-time recruiters at RTG Medical,  headquartered in Fremont, Neb., along with Vanek, who led the discussion, give their best tips below on making the best impression during an interview as well as the most frequent and useful questions you might have to show your best self during those interviews – even if it is over the phone.

What are some of the characteristics recruiters and hospitals look for over the phone when a nurse is interviewing for a travel nurse position? 

Professionalism, the ability to communicate, and listen well — these are three strong characteristics recruiters will look for in a traveler. There is something extra special about a traveler that exudes high, positive energy, too. The ability to portray warmth and confidence can also help as the traveler will need to be able to be comfortable with their own skills.

What should applicants portray when talking on the phone to a recruiter? 

“Flexibility is key so that our medical facilities know that our travelers are willing to meet their scheduling needs and that they are willing to adopt hospital protocols,” says Vanek. “In addition, explaining that this applicant is reliable will help in the interview as this will show they will actually show up for the job and the hospital can count on them.”

What should a nurse do before an interview? 

Researching the hospital and the area it’s located in is very important and shows a level of motivation to learn more about the facility, unit, and mission of the job. This could all be beneficial in the traveler scoring the job opportunity. Making sure candidates know where they have been presented to and the name of the facility that will be calling is imperative. Preparing a list of questions in advance is something RTG highly recommends. Lastly, any time off requirements can be verbally confirmed with the person interviewing at the end of the interview call.

What phone etiquette are recruiters and hospital human resource people looking for? 

From our experience at RTG, those interviewing travelers are looking for professionalism, clear and concise sentences, proper grammar, and being informed about the position and job requirements. Timely return of calls is beneficial. But we often caution travelers on taking calls at a time where they can be more attentive during the call.

If your recruiter asked you to call the hospital, could the job be gone if you delay the call, and why?

The role of a medical recruiter is to be the liaison between the traveler and the hospital during the interview process. Therefore, if and only if a traveler missed an interview call should they be calling into the facility. Otherwise, the facility will contact the traveler for the interview. Timing is everything, and the job could be filled before the candidate makes contact with the hospital with any delay.  Oftentimes, clients move on to the next profile if the candidate does not answer immediately. If hospitals are calling the candidates for interviews, the recruiter will encourage the candidate not to miss the interview calls and to be ready for the interview.

What kind of questions should you plan in advance to ask during your phone interview with the hospital? 

It’s important for travelers to ask what the patient ratios are, weekend schedule expectations, the possibilities of overtime, and what the call-off policy is. RTG provides a list of interview questions to each candidate.

How important is flexibility with dates, shifts and schedules to get the job? 

Flexibility is extremely important – it’s one of the most important things. When a traveler shows the ability to work a variable of shifts based on the client’s actual needs, this is appealing to employers. Medical facilities are spending top dollar to supplement scheduling with travelers and can often give relief to permanent staff who are likely overworked. A tip to new travelers from veteran travelers would be, if at all possible, plan your entire year out with the vacation days you’ll need, this way you can plan your assignments accordingly.

What things should you have near you when doing the phone interview? 

“Important items to have near you during a phone interview would be your resume, a calendar to reference time off requests and date availabilities,” Vanek adds. “Other items include a list of questions to ask during the interview, a phone charger just in case the phone battery dies, and a pen and paper to write down any notes.”

How can you be prepared to answer specific questions about your qualifications? 

A traveler can be prepared to answer questions by using their resume to reference their work experience and dates of employment in order to stay on track and avoid getting flustered. A pen and a piece of paper to write down the question asked may also be helpful to stay on track and to focus on getting the gist across.

Why should you verify important job details your recruiter had mentioned when talking with the hospital human resource person or whoever you talk to at the hospital? 

It’s important to verify job details with the facility to ensure all parties are on the same page and that each knows the expectations. It is great to come off as informed, interested, and unafraid to get direct answers from HR or the interviewer. Also, there are instances when the details of the job have changed since first being posted. So, concise communication is key.

How can smiling during a phone interview actually help you get the job? 

“Smiling during a phone interview may make the traveler appear to be interested in the job, happy, friendly, and inviting, and these would be qualities that would appeal to employers. Also, human resources professionals often say that you hear a smile over the phone, which portrays positive energy and confidence.

“Communication is key to all aspects of a successful relationship,” Vanek says.

 

Interview Mistakes

“Some of the biggest mistakes people make during phone interviews are not being ready or able to answer interview questions about the traveler’s abilities, employment or overall questions of themselves,” says Lisa Vanek, a recruiter with RTG for more than 13 years. “Other mistakes are when the candidates mumble or use the word ‘Um’ in hesitation, not asking the tough questions, mentioning excessive time off, listening more than speaking and asking improper questions.”