Interview Tips for Securing Your Next Travel Nursing Assignment

Unlike traditional nursing interviews, travel nurse interviews are much quicker and to the point.  Which means that you have one shot to make a good impression and secure an assignment.  Whether this is your first assignment, or tenth, these interview tips will help you stand out and secure the job you actually want!

 

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A TRAVEL NURSE RECRUITER (WHO I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND), FILL OUT THIS FORM AND JESS WILL CONTACT YOU!

 

Understanding a Travel Nurse Interview

Travel nurse interviews are often short (I’ve never had one last longer than 15 minutes) because the person interviewing you has received hundreds of applications and is potentially interviewing hundreds of nurses.  Also, because this isn’t a permanent job – those hiring are only interested in knowing whether or not you’re qualified for the position.  Not whether or not you’d be a good fit long term.

Interviews are generally conducted by unit managers – not HR – and in the rare case, interviews are sometimes conducted by robots, recorded, and then listened to later by the person in charge of hiring.  In my experience, all of my travel nurse interviews were conducted by phone.  Not by video.

 

DON’T MISS – YOUR A-Z GUIDE TO TRAVEL NURSING

 

Common Interview Questions Travel Nurses are Asked

Here are some common questions that you should be prepared to answer…

1. “Tell me about your experience with (unit/skill).”
2. “How do you handle being assigned a patient that you might not be comfortable with?”
3. “Do you have experience in floating?”
4. “What EMR systems have you used?”

 

Don’t miss…

• 4 Common Travel Nurse Interview Questions Plus How to Nail Your Interview!

 

Questions You Should Ask

When you interview, this might be the only chance to ask the manager questions about the unit so don’t let the opportunity slip away!  Plus, I always think that asking questions shows interest but also shows that you’re able to advocate for yourself.  Here are some questions you might want to think of asking, but I always recommend keeping a running “note” so that you’re not caught off guard by a last minute (or surprise) interview.

1. “What is a typical nurse:patient ratio?”
2. “What type of support is there for nurses working?” (i.e. phlebotomy, respiratory, extra nurses, etc)
3. “What will my orientation process look like and how long will it be?”
4. “What color scrubs do I need to wear?”
5. “What are my weekend requirements?”

When asking these questions, be mindful of any red flags or what might indicate poor working conditions.

 

 

How to Make a Strong First Impression & Highlight Your Flexibility

Because you’re only going to have one chance to make a good first impression, it’s really important to highlight your strengths, while also communicating that you can be flexible but still have boundaries.  Of course, even though you’re interviewing via phone call, make sure that you keep things professional.  Take your call in a quiet room, don’t let the phone call go to voicemail, and keep your talking points/questions nearby (I like to have a note in my app with this information).  I would also recommend doing a bit of research on the hospital/unit before your interview in case you get a question like, “Why do you want to work here?”

It’s also important to highlight your ability to be flexible seeing as that’s one of the primary reasons for hiring travel nurses – to help out when and where needed.  Make sure that you mention that you can be “go with the flow” while also setting boundaries.  Mention that you adapt quickly and your strengths lie in being a team player.  Finally, I think it’s important to bring up floating (if they haven’t already) and emphasize what you feel comfortable with and what you would not feel comfortable with.

Before hanging up the call, make sure to say something along the lines of, “Is there anything else that you need to know about me before making a decision on my hiring?  This assignment is one I’d be really excited to get and I’d be honored to work at X.”  This opens the door for any final questions and also shows your eagerness to secure the assignment.

 

Follow Up After the Interview

My final tip for securing your next travel nurse assignment is to follow up.  Once your interview ends, reach out to your recruiter and let them know that you’d really like the job.  If you have the contact information for the person who interviewed you, make sure to send a thank you email.  And if you really want the job, it doesn’t hurt to see if your recruiter can advocate for you.

 

Travel Nurse Essentials

 

Getting a travel nurse assignment happens fast and I hope that these tips will help you feel prepared.  If you have any questions about becoming a travel nurse let me know in the comments below!

 

If you liked this post, don’t miss…

• How to Acclimate to Your New City as a Travel Nurse
• What to Expect Once You Get a Job as a Travel Nurse

 

---

For more information and inspiration on all things nursing and, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinscrubs” or under my highlights for “Nursing”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Nursing” highlight or subscribe to my YouTube channel

---

 

Pin Me!

Disclosure:  This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no cost to you.  Passports and Preemies is also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees.