Interviewing at Swedish can be your opportunity to launch an exciting and meaningful career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the Pacific Northwest. With over 10000 employees across 5 medical centers Swedish offers a variety of nursing, clinical, administrative and support roles. Standing out from the competition and wowing your interviewers is key to getting hired.
This comprehensive guide explores the most common Swedish interview questions, along with sample answers and proven tips to help you impress hiring managers. Let’s start prepping!
Overview of Swedish’s Hiring Process
The standard Swedish hiring process includes:
- Initial online application and prescreening
- Phone interview focused on skills, experience and cultural fit
- In-person interview featuring both technical and behavioral questions
- Panel interviews for leadership roles
- Reference and background checks
- Final interview with department head/hiring manager
In general, Swedish interviewers want to confirm you have the required competencies and are aligned with Swedish’s mission of “Quality, Safety, and Compassion.” They seek candidates exhibiting kindness, professionalism, attention to detail and good communication skills. Understanding Swedish’s values is key.
Most Frequently Asked Swedish Interview Questions
Here are examples of the top interview questions asked at Swedish along with strategies to ace your responses:
1. Why do you want to work at Swedish?
This fundamental question gauges your understanding of and enthusiasm for the company. Discuss your admiration for Swedish’s high standards of patient care, their reputation as a leading medical institution, and their commitment to community health and wellness. Show how your own values and goals align.
Example: I’m extremely interested in working at Swedish because of your outstanding reputation for clinical excellence and compassionate care. Your organizational values of safety, teamwork, integrity and excellence deeply resonate with me. As a nurse, I’m personally committed to delivering the highest standards of patient-centered care. I’d be thrilled to contribute my skills in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment where quality and compassion are core priorities.
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
This common question allows you to share qualities that make you a strong candidate while also demonstrating self-awareness. Discuss 2-3 job-related strengths such as communication skills, decision-making abilities or bedside manner. For weaknesses, share an area needing growth that is not essential for the nursing role, along with your efforts to improve it.
Example: My key strengths align well with the demands of nursing. I’m an extremely compassionate, patient-focused caregiver. I’m also adept at staying calm under pressure when making critical decisions during emergencies. One area I’ve been working on improving is public speaking. While not directly applicable to patient interactions, strengthening my presentation skills allows me to better educate groups of patients. To improve, I’ve joined a local Toastmasters group. My most recent speech received praise for clarity and poise.
3. Why are you leaving your current position?
Hiring managers want reassurance that you are leaving for the right reasons and not because of poor performance or conflict. Provide a positive explanation such as seeking new learning opportunities, a change of environment or work-life balance needs.
Example: I’ve found my current hospital role very rewarding. However, after 5 years as a medical-surgical nurse, I feel ready to transition into a critical care environment which aligns with my passion for high-acuity nursing. Swedish’s intensive care unit offers an exciting opportunity to expand my knowledge base and skills to better serve the most medically complex patients at a world-class institution. I’m looking forward to this stimulating new challenge.
4. How do you stay up-to-date on medical knowledge and best practices?
Swedish wants nurses who are dedicated to continuously enhancing their expertise. Discuss reading medical journals, attending conferences, taking certifications classes, participating in grand rounds, and other learning activities. Demonstrate an enthusiastic commitment to lifelong learning.
Example: As nursing is a rapidly evolving field, I make it a priority to constantly expand my knowledge. I read high-impact medical journals like the Journal of Emergency Nursing monthly to absorb the latest evidence-based practices. I also attend local nursing conferences when possible. Additionally, I take regular continuing education courses – just last year I obtained my ACLS certification which strengthened my cardiopulmonary resuscitation capabilities. Within my hospital, I participate in grand rounds and make it a point to engage with physicians and specialists to learn from their expertise. I believe passionately in lifelong learning to provide the best possible patient care.
5. How would you respond if a physician asked you to do something you were uncomfortable with?
Nurses at Swedish must demonstrate high ethical standards and patient advocacy skills. Explain how you would professionally express your concerns, clarify the rationale and suggest alternatives. Emphasize patient well-being as the top priority while still maintaining a collaborative approach.
Example: If I were ever uncomfortable with a physician’s orders, I would first seek to understand their reasoning in a respectful manner. However, if I still felt it compromised best practices or patient safety, I would politely but firmly explain my concerns. I would then suggest alternative evidence-based approaches, emphasizing that we share the common goal of the patient’s well-being. If we could not agree, I would notify the unit supervisor to mediate while ensuring the patient was not abandoned. Though challenging, these conversations are essential to delivering optimal care.
6. How do you ensure accuracy when administering medications?
Medication errors can have dire impacts, so interviewers want to confirm your diligence and safety consciousness. Discuss best practices you follow such as verifying allergies, double-checking dosages, using references, and having another nurse validate high-risk medications before administering.
Example: Ensuring 100% accuracy when administering medications is a critical nursing duty. I take a systematic approach, beginning with double-checking the patient’s wristband and chart for allergies or contraindications. I then verify the six medication rights – right patient, drug, dose, time, route and documentation. If it’s a high-risk drug I’m unfamiliar with, I’ll consult medication reference guides and ask another nurse to validate. For high-risk patients, I take the added step of having my dosage calculations double-checked. While meticulous, these steps are essential for reducing the potential for catastrophic errors.
7. How do you prioritize tasks when you have several patients with competing needs?
Healthcare professionals must excel at time management and multitasking. Discuss how you assess each patient’s acuity level, vital signs, safety risks and other factors to determine the most urgent needs while still addressing all patients’ care efficiently. Provide an example.
Example: When juggling multiple patients, I swiftly evaluate each person’s condition and needs on both objective and subjective levels. Vital signs revealing abnormal heart rhythms for example, indicate a potentially unstable patient requiring more immediate attention. However, I also factor in subjective cues like pain levels and emotional distress, as these impact the perception of care. Ultimately, I utilize strong organizational skills to deliver timely interventions to my most acute patients while still addressing the care needs of all under my responsibility. For instance, during one busy shift I had 2 patients in pain, 1 with chest pain, and 1 with delayed medication orders. By staying cool under pressure, I was able to swiftly rule out cardiac events, administer analgesia, and remedy the medication delay to the satisfaction of all patients and families.
8. Tell me about a time you failed at work and how you handled it.
This question tests your accountability, growth mindset and communication skills. Share an example of a workplace failure, emphasizing the lesson you learned and resulting improvements to your process. Avoid major failures and don’t blame others.
Example: Early in my last nursing job, I made the mistake of discharging a patient without confirming their transportation arrangements, assuming family had arrived. However, 30 minutes later, I realized the patient was still in the waiting room alone without pickup. Fortunately, we were able to quickly contact their family and resolve the situation safely. Still, I felt terrible that my oversight caused distress and delays for both the patient and their family. From that day on, I adopted the firm policy of always double-checking discharge paperwork and personally accompanying patients outside to their transportation. Though an embarrassing failure, this taught me how vital confirmation and ownership of the discharge process are for quality patient transitions.
9. How do you function as part of an interdisciplinary care team?
Swedish emphasizes a collaborative approach across roles for optimal outcomes. Share how you communicate frequently with doctors, specialists, pharmacists and other team members. Give a specific example of a time you worked collaboratively with colleagues to enhance patient care.
Example: I understand that providing exceptional, holistic care requires seamless teamwork across functions. As a nurse, I make it a habit to actively engage with physicians, social workers, dietitians and therapists to synchronize efforts. For example, last year I had an elderly patient struggling with nutrition due to dental problems. By coordinating with his doctor, dentist and speech therapist, we were able to adjust his diet and obtain dentures. This interdisciplinary solution significantly improved his nutritional status and ability to thrive. I’m committed to fostering such open communication to deliver the best possible patient experience.
10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hiring managers want to understand your professional goals and interest in growing your career at Swedish.
