If you recently graduated as an RN or LPN from a college or university in Chicago, you have likely seen us. To meet the brightest and best nurse graduates for our Home Nursing Residency program, we’ve attended countless job fairs and panels and interviewed hundreds of recent graduates. When we first started interviewing, we were looking primarily at GPAs, relevant experience, and professionalism.
Now in 2015, we focus on three qualities that make a difference in working with our medically complex, technology-dependent patients in their homes. While we still hold the traditional indicators (GPA, relevant experience, professionalism, etc.) in high regard, we’ve modified our interview process to identify the three qualities listed below—and they are a major reason why our Home Nursing Residency program thrives today.
Undeniable Passion—for Our People and for Home Nursing!:
Our candidates are selected based on their passion for our medically complex, ventilator-dependent patients. This includes everything from their disease processes and diagnoses to the 1:1 home nursing care they require in order to live meaningful lives at home. When we interview, we want to hear about why candidates want to work with our patients, what they can offer our patients that no one else can, and how they can make a difference here at Independence Plus.
Sometimes, a new graduate nurse interviews with us and has never heard of Home Nursing. In these cases, we provide a plethora of information and then ask the new graduate to visit our blog, read stories about our people, and then ask them to send us an email about their reactions. Many times, candidates are blown away about the opportunities within home nursing to positively affect and change a life within our Home Nursing population.
Science Enthusiast:
Training and education is embedded in everything we do at Independence Plus (heck, it’s one of the reasons we started the Home Nursing Residency program!). It’s important to us that our nurses don’t only know how to perform skills, but that they know WHY they are performing skills. In the Home Nursing Residency program, we teach our candidates about the science behind every intervention and skill, and always encourage them to question and ask WHY and then ask HOW this action affects others!
Inherent Confidence:
Natural confidence is vital in becoming a successful home care nurse. When you arrive at a patient’s doorstep for the first time, it’s important that you make a good first impression. The family is entrusting you to provide medically necessary care for their family member, so they may be scrutinizing your every move until they trust you. We teach confidence in skills, but it’s up to our new graduate nurses to demonstrate to our patients and families that they have what it takes while remaining humble enough to ask questions and keeping learning throughout their nursing career.
Now, if we needed to name the single most critical factor in Home Nursing, we would have to quote our Founder, CEO, and President, Tamara Müller, who grew up on a South Dakota farm. She’d tell you that you’ve got to “Give a Shit!”
While these are specific to Independence Plus and Skilled Hourly Home Nursing, we believe they are appropriate for all facilities and nursing practice areas.
Do you agree with our list? What do you think is most important? Tell us here!