Operating Room Nurse Interview Questions and Answers

ENJOY YOUR INTERVIEW

·         What do you find most challenging while working as a nurse in an operating room environment? How do you manage the tension?
Nursing is a challenge on the whole. There is so much at stake when you are working as an RN. However, working as one in an operating room environment is especially challenging because of the tense atmosphere that ORs carry. Over the years, I have learnt to manage my stress by disassociating myself emotionally. When one is not emotionally involved in a situation, things become easier to manage.

ü  What skills do you have that make you a good RN to work with in an OR?
I am a very professional individual. And I can go from being businesslike to compassionate within a second, depending on the situation. This makes it easy for surgical teams to work with me. And patients love it! I have demonstrated expertise in creating and implementing core nursing care plans – both pre and postoperative. I can develop educational materials to assist patients and their families understand what to expect before and after surgeries. And my meticulousness while preparing surgical rooms is quite widely talked about!

o   As far as nursing intervention is concerned, what do you know about working as an OR RN?
Right before an operation, an OR nurse has to remain at the patient’s bedsides to comfort him or her. Positioning patients so that they can be operated on properly, providing support in administering anesthesia and monitoring patients throughout the surgical procedure, are all part of a nurse’s work in the operating room.

      What duties does an operating room nurse perform after a surgery has been completed?
As soon as an operative procedure is completed, it is the job of the nurse to check and record vitals, arrange for orderly and safe transition to recovery rooms, and evaluate patients’ response to the surgical interventions.

§  How would you react if you discovered that the patient who is being operated on isn’t completely unconscious?
I would calmly but promptly make the anesthesiologist aware of the problem and provide immediate assistance to do the needful.

§  If you found out that one person from the surgical team is involved in nefarious activities, what would be your response?
While it is not my place to hold anyone accountable directly, I will make sure that the right person knows what is going on. Hospitals, particularly operating rooms are sensitive places and cannot allow nefarious activities to take place.

• How has your experience prepared you for this role?

In what types of operations do you have experience as a preoperative nurse?

• Give me an example of a break in the sterile technique

What’s a “time out”?

What are the legal aspects of a preoperative nurse’s role?

§  Can you explain the use of a surgical safety checklist?

Why is surgical skin preparation important and how would you do it?

• Tell me about a time a patient was anxious or panicked before surgery. What steps did you take to calm them?

Describe a time you spotted an inefficiency of the operating room. What was it and what did you do to fix it?

• Recall a time you had a conflict with a surgeon or nurse. How did you resolve it?

Tell me about the biggest challenge you’ve faced in the past as a nurse

§  How would you know you were successful on this Operating room nurse job?

There are several ways to assess: You set big challenges for yourself and met them. Your achievement is a big success. Your boss told you that you were successful.

I am sure that I was successful. I have dreamt to work for your company and I can do anything to make my dream become true. And I am really interested in this job, for my passion not for money.

      . What experience do you have in this field and Operating room nurse position?

• Speak about specific matters that are relevant to the position you are applying for. If you do not have any specific experience, get them as close as you can.

• If you are being asked this question from your employer, you can explain about your experience. Tell the employer what responsibilities you were performing in your previous job. You can tell about the programs you have developed and modules you have worked on. You can also tell about your achievements in different programs.

      . What have you done to improve your knowledge that related to Operating room nurse position since the last year?

• Try to include improvements that are relevant to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones in handy to mention in this circumstance.

• Employers tend to look for goal-oriented applicants. Show a desire for continuous learning by listing your non-work related hobbies. Regardless of what hobbies you choose to present, remember that the goal is to prove self-sufficiency, time management, and motivation.

• Everyone should learn from his mistake. I always try to consult my mistakes with my friends and relatives, especially with elder and experienced persons.

      . What kind of salary do you need?

A loaded question. This is a nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?

In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.