If you’re a nurse who’s spent time in the healthcare job market, you know all about job interviews. But did you know that there’s another type of interview that can be a powerful tool for career development and professional advancement? Don’t fret if you’ve never heard of the concept of the informational interview because it’s easy to learn and implement if you’d like to find a new way to build your professional network and expand your career potential.
What is an Informational Interview?
An informational interview is an informal conversation with another professional whose work, position, experience, or industry interests you. Think of it as a form of deep networking, where you get the opportunity to pick someone’s brain and learn as much as you can from their experience, all the while making a potentially valuable professional connection.
During this type of question-and-answer session between you and a chosen contact, your goal is to leave the conversation with increased clarity about the topics you’re researching. In the course of an informational interview, you can accomplish many things, including, but not limited to:
Research a particular career path, position, or industry
Screen a potential employer for details about their company’s goals, culture, or other aspects you’d like to understand
Learn about the day-to-day of a particular position
Sharpen your skills in asking questions and getting to know other professionals
Expand your network of colleagues
Understand what steps to take in pursuit of a potential career path
Gain experience describing your accomplishments, goals, skills, knowledge, and expertise
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses for roles that are of interest to you
There are no hard and fast rules about informational interviews, but you must value your interviewee’s time by keeping the meeting focused and brief. It’s also wise to send a thank you note afterward, preferably something hand-written rather than an email.
Who Would You Want to Interview?
Now that you understand what an informational interview is and its purpose, how do you figure out who to approach for such a meeting? Here are a few scenarios:
You’re a nurse with a BSN with ten years of experience in critical care and the ED. You’ve been thinking about getting your MSN but don’t want to make the wrong choice. You reach out to various masters-prepared nurses and interview them about their careers, how they feel about their choices, and what they wish they’d known before they went to grad school.
As a family nurse practitioner, you’re curious about what it’s like to specialize in mental health. You could get your post-master psychiatric mental health certificate, so you request informational interviews with three different psych NPs who work in various clinical settings.
You think you’d like to move away from bedside nursing and get into research or informatics. Informational interviews with nurses holding these types of positions could help you determine whether those areas are truly a good fit for you.
You’ve been fascinated by what you hear about functional medicine but don’t know enough about this emerging specialty. You spend time on LinkedIn and find two people who work in functional medicine, including a staff nurse in another state and the hiring manager at a local functional medicine office. After a Zoom call with the nurse, you arrange to meet with the hiring manager to learn more about the practice, what they look for in nurse candidates, and how their business is growing.
No matter what you’re interested in, there’s someone out there who would love to talk with you about what they do. One of the magic things about informational interviews is that even though you’re not directly asking for a job per se, sometimes meeting someone at just the right time can lead to opportunities you may not have known about otherwise.
How Do You Request an Informational Interview?
Requesting an informational interview can be as simple as sending an email. However, most people receive hundreds of emails, and it’s easy for your message to get lost in the shuffle or the spam filter. If willing, consider going “old school” and sending a signed letter. How many letters does anyone receive anymore, especially from someone interested in what they do? If you want to get noticed, move beyond email. And if you’re curious what to say, use this template as a guide:
Subject: George Diamond, RN —informational interview request
Dear Ms. Ferdinand,
My name is George Diamond, and for the last nine years, I’ve served as a staff RN in the emergency department, ICU, and telemetry unit. I am now interested in pursuing a career as an acute care adult gerontological nurse practitioner, but I would like to know more about this area of nursing practice before making the commitment to graduate school.
Your LinkedIn profile shows that your RN history is quite similar to mine and that you’ve been an acute care AGNP for more than a decade. If you would be willing, I’d be honored to treat you to coffee, breakfast, or lunch to ask specific questions about your career. I’m sure you’re very busy, so if it’s more convenient to talk on the phone for 15 to 20 minutes, I’d also be happy to do that instead.
I appreciate your considering sharing your experiences with me, and I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
George Diamond, RN
Informational interviews aren’t rocket science and don’t need to be complicated. Many healthcare professionals love to help others, and if you show authentic curiosity about someone and what they do, this kind of conversation can be incredibly enlightening and empowering.
Remember to show appreciation and curiosity, be professional and courteous, never ask for a job, and keep an open mind as you meet with your interviewees. You never know. An informational interview could lead to a great professional connection, a new friend, or an opportunity you never thought of. You have nothing to lose by asking and everything to gain.
In a significant development for mental health services in the military, U.S. Navy Lieutenant j.g. Lindsay Bender demonstrated strong leadership and empathy in her contributions throughout her military career, particularly at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This resulted in her being chosen to fill the critical leadership billet of Assistant Service Chief.
U.S. Army Col. Wendy Woodall, Walter Reed’s director of nursing, emphasized that “This role is typically for an O-3 or higher and GS-12,” acknowledging the significance of Bender’s assignment.
Additionally, in March 2024, Bender was accepted into the Uniformed Services University (USU) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. This achievement and progress involved Bender’s leadership ability, empathy, and collaborative mentality.
Daily Nurse named U.S. Navy Lieutenant j.g. Lindsay Bender the Nurse of the Week for her outstanding contributions as a Navy nurse, including her caring nature, innovative mindset, clinical expertise, commitment to nursing excellence, and military mental health services.
While at Walter Reed, Bender took on multiple roles, notably serving as the Assistant Service Chief of a 20-bed medical-surgical unit and efficiently leading more than 60 military and civilian personnel. The George Mason University graduate understood the gravity of occupying a role usually reserved for higher-ranking individuals, crediting her success to the guidance received and her experience in nursing leadership.
“I feel very fortunate to have been selected to fill this role,” Bender remarked. “I owe a lot of gratitude to the mentors and leaders I’ve worked with throughout my career, who have helped shape me into who I am today.”
Recognizing her work as Assistant Service Chief as a continuation of her recent experience as a floor nurse, which influenced leadership decisions, Bender added, “Nursing is a team effort, and I approach each day as a unique opportunity to improve upon the previous day, with the awareness that influence can be felt throughout every level of the leadership structure.”
She also acknowledged her “floor experience” for providing a distinctive perspective when discussing unit operations and management with other nursing leaders, underlining the significance of a supportive and collaborative environment.
Additionally, Bender was a Patient Safety Advisor and ‘Super User’ for MHS GENESIS, the DOD’s new electronic health records system.
As a Patient Safety Advisor, Bender played a significant role in enhancing patient safety and quality improvement, fostering an environment of understanding and compassion essential for patient care.
Adapting to change, Bender led efforts during the MHS GENESIS implementation as a ‘Super-User,’ contributing to staff proficiency by linking traditional practices with new technology.
Committed to innovation and process improvement, Bender used her ‘why’ approach to revamp the nursing workflow for lab specimen handling across the directorate, improving policies and resulting in increased scanning compliance rates among nursing staff.
Bender’s dedication to military mental health services was further fueled by her personal experiences, leading to her pursuit of a degree in Psychiatric Mental Health from USU. This degree program begins this month.
“Throughout my career, I have encountered various stigmas and barriers toward seeking mental health care, which has fueled my passion for advocacy for change,” Bender explained. “This is why the opportunity to complete the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree through USUHS is so exciting!”
Her advocacy was driven by recognizing the need among service members, including the challenges of military life and seeking mental health treatment.
“I hope to be an advocate for change and another person in the fight to increase mental health services for service members,” shared Bender. “The opportunity to attend USUHS and receive a top-quality education is life-changing, and I’m extremely grateful.”
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
Results of a new survey by The Harris Poll reveal that many patients receive too many needlesticks in hospital procedures, which amplifies misconceptions and lack of awareness from Americans on the risks of common medical procedures.
The “Accepted But Unacceptable” Practice of Repeated Needlesticks
Needlesticks are an often-overlooked challenge but can be one of the most traumatic aspects of a patient’s hospital stay. More than half of Americans (51%) report some fear of needles, and of that group, a top reason is fear of needing multiple needle insertions (31%).
The survey findings reflect that this concern isn’t unwarranted: a shocking 11% of survey participants with recent hospital experience needed 10 or more sticks to obtain a single blood sample – and more than half required multiple needlestick attempts for a single procedure (59% for IVs and 71% for blood draws). Moreover, 77% of patients are unaware that regardless of their conditions, patients should expect no more than two needlestick attempts from one clinician.
Nurses Agree That Repetitive Needlesticks Negatively Impact Patient Care Delivery and Workflow
Unsurprisingly, the survey highlights nurses’ strong concern about the impact of repeated needlesticks on the patient care experience. Most nurses agree that repeated needlesticks negatively impact the patient experience and say that alternatives are needed to reduce the number of needlesticks patients encounter (92% and 91%, respectively).
More than just providing a better experience, nurses agree that delays to patient treatment caused by difficult venous access or fear of needles are a problem (89% and 84%, respectively), and 67% agree that issues related to vessel access consume too much time and contribute to workflow inefficiencies.
Repeated needlestick attempts create additional work and add stress for the frontline clinician, many of whom are already feeling the impact of increased patient volume, labor shortages, and unprecedented staffing demands,” said Rachelle Landry, a registered nurse (RN) and vice president of Clinical Transformation at BD. “Additionally, repetitive sticks risk damaging a patient’s vessel health and future access for care needs.”
Interest in New solutions is High – But More Education and Advocacy are Needed to Drive Change
New technologies, such as ultrasound guidance systems, are available to drive first-stick insertion success for IVs and needle-free blood collection that uses an existing IV line to draw a blood sample without the additional stick.
However, while relatively few Americans know these technologies (25% for ultrasound guidance systems and 17% for needle-free blood draw), interest in these technologies is incredibly high (88% and 89%, respectively). Nurses are more aware of these solutions (91% and 62%, respectively), and their interest is near universal (97% and 100%, respectively).
After seeing the various risks associated with needlesticks, most Americans (85%) surveyed agree they will be better advocates for themselves in future hospital stays.
A Vision for a Better Future
BD has long been on the path toward creating a better and more compassionate standard of care for patients and providers through its “One-Stick Hospital Stay” vision that imagines a future where a needlestick could be a single occurrence during a hospital stay. This includes a three-pronged approach to advance the standard of care for IV therapy and blood draws:
Enable the right device to be placed successfully the first time.
Use that device as a single access point for required therapies and blood draws.
Help the device last throughout the patient’s hospital stay.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of BD among 2,006 adults age 18+ from December 11-28, 2023, including those who have received IV therapy or blood draws during a hospital stay lasting overnight or longer in the past 24 months. Harris online polls’ sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the total sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. In addition, the survey included 106 RNs working in hospitals in the United States, and for this sample, the data is accurate to within +/- 10.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
We asked her about her work. What follows is our interview, edited for length and clarity.
How did you get interested in your particular field? What drew you to it?
Originally, I did not intend to become a rehabilitation nurse. In 2005, I graduated and obtained a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certificate from the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC).
While searching for a job, I encountered Kernan Hospital, about 15 minutes from my residence. I submitted an application to work in the Stroke Unit, but the position was already filled. The manager assigned there forwarded my application to the Spinal Cord Unit manager, who granted me an interview and accepted me on her team. That is how my journey started as a rehabilitation nurse, and I have since developed a strong passion and commitment to working with spinal cord patients and families.
Explain briefly what you do. What types of patients do you serve as a spinal cord/multi trauma unit nurse? What do you provide for them?
In general, a rehabilitation nurse provides care for and assists patients in their progress toward recovery, self-care, and independence. The rehabilitation nurse works as part of a multidisciplinary team in setting realistic goals and achieving a treatment plan.
Over the past two decades, I have worked in the spinal cord unit, providing care for patients suffering from injuries related to the spinal cord and teaching and advocating for patients and families.
Did you need to get additional education for this position?
When I first started working in the spinal cord unit at what was then Kernan Hospital, I was a licensed practical nurse. After that, I successfully completed my studies to become a registered nurse.
When the opportunity to do on-the-job studies became available, I took advantage and completed a BSN degree at Notre Dame University of Maryland. I have since risen through various assignments/positions to Senior Clinical Nurse I and am now working to obtain certification as a rehabilitation nurse.
What do you like most about working in your job?
What I like most about working as a rehabilitation nurse is recognizing that the care and teaching I provide to patients and their families–plus the voice and advocacy I add–all combine to work for the healing process of the patients and their families.
One cannot help but feel fulfilled upon realizing that what may otherwise seem like a minor help given and a voice added can help patients regain and maintain their optimal health.
What are your biggest challenges?
Being a rehabilitation nurse is admittedly hard work and can present some challenges in managing the expectations of patients and their families.
However, where a nurse has the passion to care for their patients with a sense of commitment to serve others and provide care for patients with deep or long-term care needs, a rehab nurse can still find his or her work rewarding and satisfactory.
What are your greatest rewards in your work?
My greatest reward is working as part of a multidisciplinary medical team with goals to plan and follow treatment plans for patients and their families with positive patient outcomes.
Of course, a plus is when patients and their families are satisfied with my care and make extra effort to highlight my acts of service and compassion.
While it is challenging, working as a rehabilitation nurse can be rewarding and satisfying, especially when my patients come back for visits, recognize the nurses they worked with, and smile in appreciation for the care and teaching provided to them.
Creating a routine looks different for everyone and isn’t always what people see on social media. It certainly doesn’t have to look perfect, and most people make mistakes before finding what helps them manage their everyday lives.
You might want to eat healthier, take a walk after work, or remember to do a particular chore. Whatever it is, maintaining a dependable routine can be tricky with a busy work schedule, but not impossible.
Read on to discover tips so can develop a routine away from work.
Discover What You Want Your Routine to Look Like
Why do you want to create this routine in the first place? Writing down your motivations can help you see why a routine would be good for you.
For example, let’s say you want to create a stretching regimen. What would it look like, and how would it help you balance out the demands you currently have? Maybe you want to start slow, sit on a couch, or get out your old yoga mat and stretch out for five minutes.
Writing down your ideal schedule can help you brainstorm ideas for being consistent without overexerting yourself. During this part, you could discover free videos on YouTube on how to stretch or find a quiet time in your day away from any distracting noises.
Everyone is different, so make your routine customizable for you.
Find Ways to Remember Your Routine
So, let’s say you decided to take five minutes to do some light stretches after work—nothing too strenuous, but enough to relieve tension in your body.
Now that you know what your routine will look like, think about how you want to remember it. You can put a reminder in your phone, either on your calendar or another app, to keep track of your goals.
A useful tip is to establish a trigger in your life to remind you of your routine. For example, if you need to remind yourself to wipe off your countertops before bed, a good trigger would be to leave a sticky note on the fridge.
To make a trigger convenient, consider automating it on your phone or device so that you’ll be reminded to start when you forget.
Do What Feels Easy But Achievable Long-Term
Starting a routine can feel tiring if we push ourselves to do it initially.
We all have busy lives, so when you start a routine, make it as easy as possible.
By simplifying the routine, you’re putting pressure on yourself to be perfect. As a result, it’ll be easier to forgive ourselves when we make mistakes, like forgetting to do our routine. After all, we’re human, and mistakes can happen when we least expect it.
Take some small steps first with what you know you can do. Over time, as the routine feels more natural to you, it will be easier to take more significant steps and do your routine more than once a week, maybe daily, if that’s your preference.
Find an Accountability Partner
If you still find starting a routine difficult, even with reminders or small steps, you may need to ask someone to be your accountability partner.
It can sound intimidating, but asking someone to keep you accountable can be a stepping stone you didn’t know you needed. It’s even better if they want to do that same routine with you!
If you prefer a more laid-back, personal routine, you can find a partner through your workplace, family, and friends. Finding a partner who is supportive but honest about your situation is important for good communication.
Make it Fun and Exciting to Do
Routines that are done for a while can become tiresome. At first, they can feel rewarding and motivating, but then weeks later, you might think, “Wait, why am I doing this again?”
Think about doing something fun and exciting during your routine. If it’s a passive activity, like cleaning or taking a walk, listen to music or a podcast series you’re interested in. This can also serve as a trigger that’ll help you become motivated in the routine.
Chances are that we’re more likely to stick to a routine when relaxed enough. So, making a routine less demanding can ease our worries about whether we’re starting to become bored with it.
Practice Self-compassion
It’s okay to do a routine poorly the first time you try it out or not have the right “system.” Nurses are busy, and sometimes perfectionism can get in the way. Be gentle with yourself and know that the perfect routine doesn’t exist—it’s more about finding what’s helpful for you to make your life easier.
Alice Darrow, a former Navy nurse, was honored for her love of life and patriotic commitment to our country as one of the last living links to Pearl Harbor when she celebrated her 105th birthday in Danville, California, surrounded by family, friends, and community members.
Darrow was born in 1919 in Paso Robles and enrolled in nursing school after finishing high school. She then served as a Navy nurse and worked at Peralta Hospital in Oakland when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. She is considered among the last of the ‘greatest generations in American history.’
Daily Nurse proudly names Alice Darrow Nurse of the Week in recognition of her love of life, patriotic commitment to our country, and status as one of the last living links to Pearl Harbor.
One Naval officer was blown off his boat as Japanese gunmen kept firing as Darrow (then Alice Beck) climbed aboard his rescue boat. “When the boat came by to pick him up, he was trying to pull himself up on the boat. They shot him. He got shot in the back,” Darrow says.
It wasn’t until four months later, while he was being treated for appendicitis, doctors did an x-ray and discovered a bullet in his heart. Darrow was assigned to him as his nurse.
“He asked me, ‘Ms. Becky, if I survive this, would you take liberty with me?’ Which was a shock. So, I said, ‘sure, why not?’ They didn’t think he was going to make it anyways,” says Darrow.
When Mr. Darrow died in 1991, the couple had been married for almost fifty years. Together, they raised four children in Lake County, where both parents were active in military memorial services.
Darrow credits her longevity to her secret to life. “Always have something to look forward to. It gets your body and mind ready for what’s next. And, of course, family, friends, and laughter.”
As for what’s next for Darrow, she’s looking forward to an ‘around the world’ cruise later this year with her daughter.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
