Does previous clinical experience count when interview for jobs as a new grad? I have 13 years outpatient experience as a medical assistant, with 5 of those in Peds. I plan on applying for postpartum/l&d/nicu after graduation. Thanks!

As a nurse manager I always take all experiences into account even if it’s not nursing experience!

Absolutely! If you do not toot your own horn, no one will know what you have done. All past experience adds to your abilities as a new graduate. Good Luck!

Any previous clinical experience in Peds should be an asset for a new grad interviewing for job in Nicu.

Edit: I’m a current nursing student, will graduate in august.

Sorry I like to talk, here we go 🤓!
I see life as a puzzle. What are pieces of your particular puzzle:
you + your personal life experiences (good bad ugly) + ALL of your work experiences = form the “puzzle image” you are right now.
Puzzle Image changes as you change and grow.
Are you the person you were before your last year of Nursing School. No. That was a puzzle piece and it changed the picture into what you see and are @ this exact moment.

So 5 yrs Peds. Medical Assistant, front line, 1st point of contact with distressed, scared tiny humans & their distressed, terrified parents.
So, do you think you might encounter that in L&D/Postpartum/NICU 🤔…YEAH!!!

I PROMISE YOU, EVERYTHING YOU ENCOUNTERED/ ENDURED / CELEBRATED (good bad ugly), WILL @ SOME POINT BE USEFUL IN YOUR CAREER!
WHY?
BECAUSE THOSE ARE YOUR PUZZLE PIECES, CREATING THE PUZZLE IMAGE YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE MIRROR.

IMAGE ON PUZZLE: GROWTH & KNOWLEDGE, THE PUZZLE YOU ARE TODAY, & WILL TRANSFORM INTO IN YOUR FUTURE!!!!

Example:
High School, Grades 11-12, took Health Occupations class. Clinical @ local Hosp. Learned hands on CNA skills as student nurses. Enter Nursing Program, students who never worked were terrified do the beginner hands on that are like CNA tasks. I was able to teach and calm them, because of my high school experiences! Seemingly simple yet mastering one skill gives evidence more can be mastered.

INTERVIEWS:
Why do you want to work there???
Research.
Learn everything you can about the hospital.
Know the details of the posting. Expectations, experience / skills required, shifts etc
A. Be prepared to address each component & what you will bring to the facility.
As the other nurse advised:
“toot your own horn.”
B. Sell yourself.
C. MAKE IT CLEAR AS TO WHY THEY SHOULD HIRE YOU!
Tell them what they will get out of a partnership with you, or by inviting you in the XYZ-Pediatric -Hospital Family.
SPEAK AS IF YOU OWN THE JOB.
Not “if I were hired”..But..”what excites me about working her is that I will….” relate it to something they want from staff, or something you learned and are excited about from your research.

Many interviews are situation oriented.
A. TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU …
TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN XYZ OCCURRED…
HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT…OUTCOME.
B. YOU ARE GIVEN A SCENARIO..ASKED HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE SCENARIO..

Often it is you enter a room & BAM, something awful scary, totally unexpected @ that moment occurs. Ex: you saw ‘Mom B’ 40 min ago and she was doing very well, exactly on track with expected status/findings.
Now you enter room , routine check, and ‘Mom B’ is pale, disoriented, and you pull back sheet & see large amount blood 🩸 on bed.
What would you do?

Thanks for allowing me to provide input.
Welcome into the family of Nursing, the world’s most exhilarating, exhausting, challenging, fulfilling, career!⚕️🩺🏥

Thanks

Sorry I like to talk, here we go 🤓!
I see life as a puzzle. What are pieces of your particular puzzle:
you + your personal life experiences (good bad ugly) + ALL of your work experiences = form the “puzzle image” you are right now.
Puzzle Image changes as you change and grow.
Are you the person you were before your last year of Nursing School. No. That was a puzzle piece and it changed the picture into what you see and are @ this exact moment.

So 5 yrs Peds. Medical Assistant, front line, 1st point of contact with distressed, scared tiny humans & their distressed, terrified parents.
So, do you think you might encounter that in L&D/Postpartum/NICU 🤔…YEAH!!!

I PROMISE YOU, EVERYTHING YOU ENCOUNTERED/ ENDURED / CELEBRATED (good bad ugly), WILL @ SOME POINT BE USEFUL IN YOUR CAREER!
WHY?
BECAUSE THOSE ARE YOUR PUZZLE PIECES, CREATING THE PUZZLE IMAGE YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE MIRROR.

IMAGE ON PUZZLE: GROWTH & KNOWLEDGE, THE PUZZLE YOU ARE TODAY, & WILL TRANSFORM INTO IN YOUR FUTURE!!!!

Example:
High School, Grades 11-12, took Health Occupations class. Clinical @ local Hosp. Learned hands on CNA skills as student nurses. Enter Nursing Program, students who never worked were terrified do the beginner hands on that are like CNA tasks. I was able to teach and calm them, because of my high school experiences! Seemingly simple yet mastering one skill gives evidence more can be mastered.

INTERVIEWS:
Why do you want to work there???
Research.
Learn everything you can about the hospital.
Know the details of the posting. Expectations, experience / skills required, shifts etc
A. Be prepared to address each component & what you will bring to the facility.
As the other nurse advised:
“toot your own horn.”
B. Sell yourself.
C. MAKE IT CLEAR AS TO WHY THEY SHOULD HIRE YOU!
Tell them what they will get out of a partnership with you, or by inviting you in the XYZ-Pediatric -Hospital Family.
SPEAK AS IF YOU OWN THE JOB.
Not “if I were hired”..But..”what excites me about working her is that I will….” relate it to something they want from staff, or something you learned and are excited about from your research.

Many interviews are situation oriented.
A. TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU …
TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN XYZ OCCURRED…
HOW DID YOU HANDLE IT…OUTCOME.
B. YOU ARE GIVEN A SCENARIO..ASKED HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE SCENARIO..

Often it is you enter a room & BAM, something awful scary, totally unexpected @ that moment occurs. Ex: you saw ‘Mom B’ 40 min ago and she was doing very well, exactly on track with expected status/findings.
Now you enter room , routine check, and ‘Mom B’ is pale, disoriented, and you pull back sheet & see large amount blood 🩸 on bed.
What would you do?

Thanks for allowing me to provide input.
Welcome into the family of Nursing, the world’s most exhilarating, exhausting, challenging, fulfilling, career!⚕️🩺🏥