The In-Class Practice Nursing Interview - Essay Example

of the event The experience that I have reflected upon in this paper is the in practice nursing interview based on AMNC competencyand MNH Graduate Abilities that I had given few days ago. It was a practice interview meant to provide me with a vision of the kinds of interviews I am likely to give when I apply for the post of a nurse in the near future. The interview involved me and the interviewing committee. I was both nervous and excited because it would be my first interview as a nurse. I thoroughly studied the AMNC competency and MNH Graduate Abilities Manual in order to sound and feel professional. Reflection upon the event This was my first interview as a nurse and I was very nervous and at the same time excited. Being the first profession-oriented interview of my life, outcome of this interview meant a lot to me. I knew that if I did well in the interview, it would fill the confidence in me that I require at the first step of my professional life. Also, if I did badly, I knew that would shatter my confidence and I would be doubtful of my skills when I actually appeared in the interviews later. I didn’t want that to happen. So I prepared for my interview well. In order to refresh the knowledge of the AMNC competency and MNH Graduate Abilities in my mind, I started reading the course material one full week before the interview. At the time the interview was about to commence, my heart was pounding fast. I wanted to get control over my heart-beat, but that was beyond my control. I was slightly pale and was also slightly shivering. My hands and feet had become cold and I was rubbing my palms against each other in order to warm up a bit. In order to control my nervousness, I was taking deep breaths. The good about the experience was that it allowed me to have an insight into my performance as an interviewee. Having acquainted myself with the right professional nursing skills is only part of the game. My presentation of myself and performance at the interview is something intrinsically linked with my personality, and having a sound personality is valued a lot by the interviewers. This interview enabled me to find out how good I am at that and the potential areas I need to work upon in order to further improve my performance as an interviewee. I don’t think there was anything bad about this experience. It was an exercise supposedly quite beneficial for a nurse who is just starting his/her career. I conducted a little research about ways to sound and look confident in an interview. I dressed nicely, wearing sober colors. I was in a well-pressed business attire. I had used a mint mouth-wash five minutes before the interview in order to feel fresh from inside. I took long and deep breaths in order to regulate the stress and rubbed my palms against each other to warm them up. I wished everybody a good-morning after entering the room and occupied a seat with due permission of the interviewing committee. I looked at the interviewer in the eyes and answered in a moderate tone. I think my strategies went fairly well. I had practiced all this at my home a couple of times before the interview day. The act of rubbing my palms, taking deep breaths and using mouth-wash before the start of the interview made me achieve a control over myself. My act of wishing the interviewing committee and taking permission before sitting impressed upon the committee that I am well-mannered. By looking the interviewer in the eye, I made the interviewer feel that I was taking him/her seriously and also that I was confident. Controlling my tone added to the good impression I had had on the interviewing committee to make it even nicer. During the interview, I was asked what I would decide in a particular clinical situation they put in front of me. They wanted me to demonstrate my ethical decision making competency. They asked me what would I reply to a patient who is being unnecessarily rude to me. They wanted to check my patience and emotional intelligence. Likewise, my judgmental and literary skills were examined. In addition to them, my emotional control and present-mindedness was examined on certain questions. I shall definitely use these competencies in the real interviews in the future. I believe that emotional intelligence is the most fundamental prerequisite of developing good social skills both with the interviewer as well as with the patients in the profession. A nurse ought to have patience, emotional intelligence, present-mindedness and ethical decision making skills. These were the personal skills that I had to demonstrate in the interview. Without these competencies, it becomes nearly impossible for a nurse to deal with the tough situations without creating a mess. New Insights: Evaluation Professional dispositions are the norms, ethics and values associated with a particular profession which govern an individual’s attitude and dealing with the peers and clients. Professional dispositions also influence an individual’s tendency to learn and grow in the profession. Several behaviors and beliefs that are kinked with values that include but are not limited to honesty, caring and fairness guide the professional dispositions of an individual. Critical thinking and analytical skills are fundamentally required for an individual to make ethical decisions. In the capacity of a nurse, I will have to evaluate a range of options before deciding which the best course of action to be adopted in a certain situation is. ANMC links critical thinking and analytical skills with the professional growth; “Critical thinking and analysis…relates to self – appraisal, professional development, and the value of evidence and research for practice. Re?ecting on practice, feelings and beliefs and the consequences of these for individuals/groups is an important professional benchmark” (ANMC, n.d., p. 3). Thus, critical thinking and ethical decision making is very important for establishing the professional dispositions for me as a nurse. References: ANMC n.d., National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse, viewed, 9 November 2011, . Read More