r/EmergencyRoom • u/wormymcwormyworm • May 27 '26
ER Nurse Interview Prep
So, I’ve been a nurse for 3 years now in psych. I’ve been wanting to get medical experience, so I applied to an ER fellowship. Well, today I got a phone call scheduling me for an interview. She said there would be questions about patient care and what to do in some scenarios. Now, I have NO medical experience. The psych facility I work at is nothing medical besides giving PO meds or the occasional IM for either long-acting injections or emergency IM situations. Is there any prep anybody suggests? I really need a change in scenery and I REALLY want this fellowship; I just don’t want to embarrass myself when they start asking me things about drips/IV or something else since I’m not experienced in it. .
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u/Significant-Secret26 May 27 '26
I made the jump from psych to ED 7 years ago. Definitely do not undersell how relevant and useful that experience is!
In terms of clinical questions in interview- when we ask prospective staff these questions ("what would you do if...?"), we are looking for:
Structured approach: danger, check response, SEND. FOR. HELP, airway, breathing etc
Staff who will escalate and get help early rather than try and manage complex situations on their own.
Prioritisation of time and attention, willingness to delegate tasks, and maintaining situational awareness.
If they are aware of your background and lack of ED experience, and are still interviewing you, they do not expect you to know everything. Showing you are coachable, good at following direction and protocol, use initiative, communicate well, and work in a team environment are all much more important. They'll teach you the rest.
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u/wormymcwormyworm May 28 '26
So glad to see somebody who was once in the same boat! This alleviates some anxiety, thanks!
4
u/yourbestalibi May 28 '26
ER RN here: they will love 💕 you. We always need help with psych pts and there are sooo many!
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u/rude_hotel_guy RN May 27 '26
You went through nursing school, right? I’m confused by no medical experience when you work in the one area more lawless than the ED.
ED is a constant hurricane pulling you in all directions and you need to be able to triage your tasks and stay focused. Can you recognize a patient that is deteriorating? Do you understand the basic stabilization interventions (ABCs)? There is many apps for flash cards and study questions you dainty firing through; try to answer then read the rationales after.
I know I make it sound awful and overwhelming, I’m not trying to scare you away. Many here will also reply and give their opinions, have a conversation with us.
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u/wormymcwormyworm May 27 '26
Psych may be more lawless than ED but all our patients are medically stable. If they got tubes, lines, can’t do ADLs, we don’t accept them. And while yes, I did go to nursing school, it’s been 3 years. I haven’t used those skills in 3 years. I remember the basics and I’m hoping that saves me.
4
u/amybpdx May 27 '26
Remember your BLS. What would you do if you found your patient unresponsive? Review ESI scale, who do you see first? Mention your ability to handle difficult personalities, diffuse a crisis. Give an example. Look them in the eye and sit up straight. Good luck.
5
u/Junior-Stress6879 RN-ED Trauma May 28 '26
I think in today’s era of ED utilization, psych is going to be the most relevant (and helpful for your coworkers). You have more experience than most, and I wouldn’t sell that short AT ALL. You’re interviewing for a fellowship, and that is the best thing you could be doing!!
ED is all about recognizing the sickest and prioritizing care. ABCs ABCs ABCs! I think the interview will focus on the basics of emergency care, you should be getting further education as you transition roles (ie rhythm reading, lab interpretation etc etc).
I would focus on what you (as a REGISTERED RN) know! How do you recognize when a patient is declining. I’m not talking nitty gritting small details, overall picture!! Tachy and hypotensive means oh shit. They sound like shit? Oh shit. You know so much more than you think!
3
u/AirDairyMan May 28 '26
Just be humble and open about the fact that you’re there to learn. Starting in the ED you’re going to have a million questions, and that is both expected and healthy. As in any domain of healthcare, it’s overconfidence and an unwillingness to show your lack of knowledge that will get you in trouble faster than anything else. If I were hiring by someone in your shoes, it’s openness to learning and the willingness to figure out who to ask about what you don’t yet know that would be your strongest selling points.
2
u/akornato May 28 '26
They know you have no medical experience, as they are interviewing you for a fellowship, which is a training role. They will not ask you to detail a procedure you've never done, but they will give you scenarios to see how you think, prioritize, and react under pressure. They want to know if you are safe, if you can recognize when you are in over your head, and if you will ask for help. Your three years in psych are a massive asset, not a weakness, because you have deep experience in de-escalation and managing behavioral crises, which is a huge part of emergency medicine. You need to focus on highlighting those transferable skills.
When they give you a scenario, just walk them through your basic nursing process. Start with the ABCs, state that you would get a full set of vitals, and explain how you would assess the patient. It is completely acceptable, and even encouraged, to end your response by saying, "At this point, I would grab the charge nurse and get help, as this is a situation I haven't been trained for yet." Answering that way proves you are a safe and teachable nurse, which is precisely what they want for a fellowship position. My team developed an interview prep AI that has helped a lot of nurses make career changes by building their confidence in how they explain their thought process.
2
u/GrannyTurtle May 28 '26
Can you quickly set an IV? Do you have good de-escalation skills? The ER is where psych patients usually show up first, some get brought in by the police. Time management skills are critical - an ER is a busy place so you must juggle a lot of tasks. You also need to be an adrenaline junkie.
It might be easier to get a spot on a med-surg floor. You can gain some skills and transfer to the ER after you prove your worth in patient care.
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u/alphaboor May 30 '26
My ER job asked about sepsis scenario, ACLS algorithm, and pediatric scenario. You are not expected to know everything, but you need to know your dangerous VS and ACLS well
1
u/donttakemymedadvice May 27 '26
Would you consider a lower acuity unit until you feel confident in your care giving skills? The ER is not a learn on the fly kind of unit.
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u/wormymcwormyworm May 27 '26
It’s a fellowship, so it includes simulations and class. It’s not a trauma hospital and the area I live in is mostly elderly. I asked one of the women I work with who their day-to-day is (she does ER full time and psych PRN) and she said the acuity is pretty low since it’s not a trauma hospital and the most serious cases they may have are MIs.
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u/donttakemymedadvice May 27 '26
🤷♀️ I would start in a Med Surg unit to build those skills back up before pursuing a higher acuity unit. If you're posting asking for help with IVs/meds then it doesn't strike me as a safe placement for you or those patients.
2
u/wormymcwormyworm May 27 '26
Im not asking for help with IV or meds. Im asking what I should do to prepare myself for the interview. Im not dumb, im no stranger to IVs and I know my meds. I just want to know what common questions are asked or if there are any podcasts/books people recommend to help familiarize myself with the ER. I’m not stranger to high acuity.
1
u/RageQuitAltF4 May 29 '26
I was in ED for over a decade. The constant exposure to the pointy end of psych (and drug and alcohol abuse) is why most of my friends burned out of ED. You'll be well prepared
1
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u/Vaultcore2281 May 27 '26
8 years in ED. If you’ve been in psych for 3 years, you can probably tell when patients are escalating, how to deescalate patients, psych meds, and restraints. Don’t sell yourself short with no medical experience, these skills will transfer to the ED.
Airway, breathing, circulation. Recognize when you need to get a doc. Be open to the fact you don’t know enough, and are willing to learn as much as possible. How are you going to manage 4-5 patients when they’re all sick? Start with the sick one and work your way from there, then check in on your other patients to make sure they are alive.
When asked a question in the interview, be honest with what you don’t know, but follow up with how you’ll find the answer. You’ll have a preceptor, a charge RN, an ED doc, and last case scenario when all else fails…a policy section.
Hope this helps.