# Nurses: three interviews for an RN job? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 2, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543 "2016-08-02T12:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/1 "2016-08-02T12:23:49Z")
My daughter, an RN, is relocating from Roanaoke to Pittsburgh. While she job/apartment hunts she is living with us (an interesting experience worthy of its own thread). She applied for a “charge nurse” position in an obstetrics clinic. She initially thought she was underqualified for the job, but applied for the experience. Her resume is excellent, she has great references, and incredible genetics. Today she is going back for her third interview. The first interview was with a woman management type. She was brought back for a second interview with the doctors. Today she is going in to meet with one doctor who was on vacation when she was in for the second interview. So, nurses: (I know nothing about the field) Is this typical? What exactly is a “charge nurse”? She says she would be the only RN; who would she be overseeing? If, after three interviews she does _not_ get the position, are there valuable parting gifts?🙂 (I could ask her all these questions, but she is nervous as it is and I’m playing down the whole thing) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/2 "2016-08-02T13:02:16Z")
A “charge nurse” is the first level of management for nurses. Most of the time, it means you’re assigning patients to nurses based on their level of need and your nurses’ strengths, weaknesses and number of other patients, and you’re the one that the other nurses come to if they need help or questions answered about policies or procedures or odd requests, and you handle any shit that hits the fan (literally or figuratively) during your shift. During this shift, you’ll also have patients that they’re directly responsible for providing care for. In a clinic setting, you may also be responsible for things like inventorying supplies and doing the schedule and creating budgets and doing extra clerical work. It’s the equivalent of a shift manager or assistant manager in retail. Being that she’s going to be the only RN, that either means there are other staff, like LPNs and ancillary staff, that she’ll be managing, OR it means the doctors are trying to gussy up their position with a shinier title that doesn’t actually mean anything. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/3 "2016-08-02T15:11:32Z")
OK, I understand a bit better what she’s dealing with here. The “3 interview” thing is foreign to me. I guess I’m lucky to be self-employed. I could handle a second interview, but called back a third time I’d make a wise crack about expecting to be paid for my time. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/4 "2016-08-02T15:36:55Z")
I’d hazard a guess they wanted to hire her after the 2nd interview, but the doctor on vacation raised a stink that a decision had been reached without his/her input. FWIW, the “Doctors think of themselves as God” stereotype is true more often than you’d expect. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/5 "2016-08-02T15:40:38Z")
If it’s a clinic, it’s possible that it’s owned by the doctors. It might be that as a part-owner, the doctor on vacation had a right to interview any management candidate. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/6 "2016-08-02T15:49:07Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > If it’s a clinic, it’s possible that it’s owned by the doctors. It might be that as a part-owner, the doctor on vacation had a right to interview any management candidate. Ahhh, that would make sense. Hopefully, tonight she’ll know more. I suggested we all go out tonight for dinner to either celebrate or drown her sorrows.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/7 "2016-08-02T15:55:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > OK, I understand a bit better what she’s dealing with here. > > The “3 interview” thing is foreign to me. I guess I’m lucky to be self-employed. I could handle a second interview, but called back a third time I’d make a wise crack about expecting to be paid for my time. You should never go into software. I’ve had 4 interviews for a position I didn’t even get (granted, it’s more common to just have one or two, but 3 or 4 is not uncommon). EDIT: good luck to your daughter! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/8 "2016-08-02T18:16:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The first interview was with a woman management type. She was brought back for a second interview with the doctors. What gender are the doctors? I had four interviews for a pretty basic-level administrative position some years ago. Yes, it seemed excessive, and I felt a teensy bit bad when I declined the job. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/9 "2016-08-02T18:43:51Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > You should never go into software. I’ve had 4 interviews for a position I didn’t even get (granted, it’s more common to just have one or two, but 3 or 4 is not uncommon). > > EDIT: good luck to your daughter! Indeed. Also, “interview” often means “day of interviews”. For my current position I had a phone screening, a day of interviews with future peers (about 5 or 6 total), and another day of two short interviews with management types. I don’t think that is unusual for the industry. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/10 "2016-08-02T18:59:42Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > What gender are the doctors? I do not know. She mentioned that during the first interview “_she_” asked blah, blah, blah. During the second interview, “_they_ asked more clinically relevant stuff”. Doctors can be either (or even neither) gender, verdad? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/11 "2016-08-03T01:45:56Z")
I’ve never had a doctor interview, but all my charge nursing has been where I was already an established nurse. It’s possible there was a bad event in this unit and the doctors requested this. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/12 "2016-08-03T02:00:57Z")
Just back from a celebratory Mexican dinner complete with a few margaritas. **She got the job!!!** (actually I had the margaritas, she had water:dubious:) The decision came down to my 25 year old daughter who is smart as a whip but is young and has never been in a supervisory position versus an established nurse with 20 years of experience. There were arguments being made for both applicants. The office manager called her with the good news an hour after she got home. My daughter “studied” for the interviews, including reading the latest Ob-Gyn journal articles. She mentioned something today that was cutting edge, and one of the doctors pulled out her tablet and found the info. It may have put her over the edge. Woohoo!! She calls HR tomorrow to arrange her TB test, etc. She was happy with her old job in Roanoke, but this bumps her pay up $5 more an hour to start. Will look fantastic on her resume also. Thanks everyone for the info and well wishes. I think I was more keyed up than she was. Oh, and **gigi** : the MDs are all women (in my mind I was picturing guys. My bad) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/13 "2016-08-03T02:07:03Z")
That’s great!!! ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/14 "2016-08-03T03:29:45Z")
awesome!!! Cub Mistress, RN ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/15 "2016-08-03T04:20:09Z")
Hopefully the old nurse isn’t vindictive with a flock of deciples in that work area. Congratulations nonetheless! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/16 "2016-08-03T15:21:35Z")
Very cool! That is great that she will get this level of experience at a young age. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/17 "2016-08-03T15:43:47Z")
Congrats to **kayak** daught **er**! My expectations are that the first interview is to screen out the obviously unqualified, the second is with the person actually responsible for hiring you, and the third is to offer you the job. I bet the extra interview was because the vacationing doctor wanted to interview a nurse he/she would be working with. My sister became an RN at the age of 55. She said the job market for nurses is pretty good in her area (upper Midwest, USA). Is that the case all over the country? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/18 "2016-08-03T16:09:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Is that the case all over the country? My mother and aunt are both nurses. Their take on it is that since it’s a demanding but low-paying job, where you frequently aren’t thanked and often have to deal with human waste, there’s a very high churn rate with nurses. Since hospitals/doctor’s offices always need medical staff, there is therefore always a high demand. Just a second-hand pair of anecdotes. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/19 "2016-08-03T16:20:12Z")
Thanks. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543/20 "2016-08-03T16:25:04Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > My sister became an RN at the age of 55. She said the job market for nurses is pretty good in her area (upper Midwest, USA). Is that the case all over the country? > > Regards, > Shodan My daughter had several jobs lined up if she did not get the charge nurse position. Her area of interest is neonatal medicine and pediatric oncology which do have higher than average turn over. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nurses-three-interviews-for-an-rn-job/761543.md?page=2)