If you dream of helping bones heal, an orthopedic job might be for you. Here’s how to land that ortho nursing job you want.
I’ve talked before about general interview tips and how to write a fantastic resume. In this guide, I’m going to share more specific tips about how to land the orthopedic job you dream of.
What Is An Orthopedic Nurse?
The best definition is this:
Orthopedic nurses care for patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries, which include total joint replacements, repairing sports injuries, and fixing fractures.
Before you apply for this job, familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and who you will be working around and with. When you know this is the job for you, keep reading! These are my best tips that will help you sail through the interview and land your new job!
Tips To Get An Ortho Nursing Job
Beyond the basic “be confident” and “sell the reasons you would be good for the job” there are some things that you need to know to land an ortho nursing job. Some of these tips can help you with any job, but these are specifically about the world of orthopedics and bones.
1. Sprinkle Orthopedic Terminology Into Your Interview
Even if you have never worked on an ortho unit before, learn how to speak the language. In fact, this post describes what ortho nurses do. Read it and become familiar with some of the jargon.
Familiarize yourself with some of the terms like “a total knee arthroscopy (TKA),” or “posterior hip precautions.”
If you can sprinkle those terms naturally within the interview it shows that you are interested in this position and you are aware of some of the things you’ll be responsible for.
It also communicates very strongly to the hiring staff that even though you haven’t worked in ortho before you are doing what you can to learn about it.
2. Discuss Some Of Your Strengths That Align With The Duties of An Ortho Nurse
When you mention your strengths, make sure you are saying things that will make you more hirable as an orthopedic nurse.
A couple things that ortho nurses do that you can mention include:
- Pain management
- Post-operative pain and nausea management
- Building working relationships with surgeons
- The value of physical therapy
- How you can navigate and coordinate patient care between a multitude of disciplines
- Discharge disposition – making sure all of the goals are met
People hiring for ortho nurses are not only looking for someone who can give great care but someone who can make the patient’s short hospital stay efficient. A lot of insurance providers in CMS will only cover so much time in the hospital. It’s important to maximize their time in the hospital and promptly get them home.
When you show that you are learning about the job even before you have it, it communicates and eagerness to become the best ortho nurse you can. This will set you apart from the competition.
3. Admit Your Are Willing To Learn
Finally, admit what you don’t know in a way that tells them you are willing to learn it.
If you don’t have any experience in ortho, it’s important that you communicate how willing you are to learn it all. Tell them, “I know there is a lot I have to learn in terms of devices and provider preferences.”
When you are trying to weave the terminology into the interview, you need to show what you don’t know yet and that you are ready to learn it.
This tells the hiring managers that you are honest and reliable. It communicates an earnest desire to be a valuable part of the team.
In fact, telling them that you know it will be a challenge but you want to lean into it speaks so much more highly than someone pretending like they know everything.
Let them know that you are teachable and coachable. This makes them more ready to hire you.
Ortho Nursing Job Final Thoughts
Those are my hottest tips for landing an ortho nursing job. Learn the buzz words, discuss the strengths of yours and be upfront with what you don’t know and express a willingness to learn.
Ortho STRONG: Crash Course For New Ortho Nurses
If you want to learn more about this job so you are more convincing in the interview, check out this ultimate resource for new ortho nurses.
Ortho STRONG is written by a phenomenal nurse practitioner who works with some of the best ortho surgeons in the country. She put everything that she learned into this course. It is highly valuable.
Looking for the ultimate resource to prepare for your first ortho nursing job?
Ortho STRONG from FreshRN® is your one-stop ultimate resource and online course, crafted specifically for brand new Ortho nurses. If you want to get ahead of the game so instead of merely surviving orientation, you’re thriving all the way through from day one to day done - this is the course for you.
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