I applied through an employee referral. The process took 2+ months. I interviewed at Sentara Health
Interview
Online application process only. After applying for the position you MUST stay on top of HR to make sure your application gets to the nursing manager of the department for review. It is almost impossible to speak to someone from HR at the time of your call the best thing to do is ask for the recruiters email and also ask to be forwarded to their voicemail. They tend to be good about getting back via email. Most positions for Technicians are limited in the amount of openings per year so they have several applicants to sift through it is a great help if you know someone on the inside to put in a good word. Once It took about three weeks for me to get a call for an interview after applying online. HR does not update your application status online on a regular bases so I had to call both HR and the department manger several times over the course of three weeks to make sure that my application was being reviewed and that I got an interview. Once you interview with the nurse manager they give you a tour of the department even if they already know you are not the one that they are going to choose. During the interview process they ask basic questions such as previous work experience and how well did you get along with employees at your previous job. After you interview with the nurse manager if they are interested in hiring you they will set up a time to do a peer interview with other nurses and techs from the floor usually 1-2 days after your manager interview. Peer interview consist on 3 people at different clinical positions. This process was about 15 mins and was casual. They tend to ask you about your previous work experience and why you chose to come to their facility and if you know anyone that currently works in the department. They also ask everyone that will be in a direct patient care position a scenario question about several different patients all needing something and which one is the highest priority and why. They will also want you to put the other patients in order from highest to lowest needs. After your peer interview they consult with the nursing manager to decide if they should offer you the position. The nursing manager asks the peer reviewers you greatest trait and weakest trait and do they think you will be a good fit for the department. Usually within a week the nurse manager will call to offer you the position, even if you are ready to accept it they will ask you to take 2-3days to think about it and call them with an answer, however they will not tell you how much it pays HR should have already given you that information during your first contact with them, if you do not get offered the position you will receive a letter in the mail thanking you for your time and encouraging you to continue to seek employment with the company. The company only does new hire orientation training twice a month/every other week so if you are hired there may be a weeks time before you even start. On average the whole interview process takes about a 1.5 weeks. However there have been people who have applied, interviewed and hired all with 3 days.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
What was one time when you made a mistake at work and how did you handle it? What would you say is your weakest quality when it comes to your job tasks?
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Sentara Health (Norfolk, VA) in Oct 2012
Interview
The hiring process took about a month. My first interview involved interviewing with Team Manager and another ED Tech at the hospital I would be working at. Questions were very straightforward and basic - no curveballs. "How would your experience help you?" "Are you a good team player?" etc. Interviewer spent more time talking than I did. I was offered to shadow someone in my position a week later to determine if I would like the job. I was then asked to do another interview with two other members of the team I would be closely working with. This is interview was also straightforward. After I was offered the position, post-hire paperwork was required, including a health screening and drug test. Post hire paperwork was complicated and detailed, and including a three day timeline for completion. This included gathering references for review, so have references available beforehand.