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At some point in the interview process, you’ll probably be offered a tour of the facility, floor, or unit in which you’re interviewing for a job. (If a tour is not offered, be sure to ask! You’ll certainly want to see the facility in which you’ll be working if you are offered and accept the job). This tour can give you valuable information about how the facility is run, what the work pace is like, how the nurses are treated, and if, in fact, this is a job that will work for you.

Review this article before your interview so you remember what to look for during your tour. Remember, you’re not trying to see all of the details, but rather get an overall feeling about the floor, unit, or facility you’re touring (for the rest of this article, the term “unit” will be used to signify the area you’re touring).
General atmosphere

Take note of the general feeling of the unit. This can tell you a lot about the atmosphere in which you would be working, if in fact you’re offered and accept the job. Here are several things to try to notice and be aware of as you are on your tour.

* Are there a lot of call lights on? Does they seem to be answered quickly?
* Do you hear a lot of machine alarms? Do they seem to be silenced quickly, or continue to alarm?
* Is there a strong smell of urine, feces, or vomit? (on certain units there may be many incontinent patients; a strong smell may be due to one patient being very ill)
* Are rooms, and/or hallways cluttered with trash, dirty laundry, un-served or dirty meal trays, equipment, or supplies?
* Is the nurse’s station cluttered and crowded, or spread out and neat?
* Is the nurse’s lounge or break room neat or messy?

Remember that many factors can influence the atmosphere—if the floor is unusually busy, the nurses are short staffed, and/or you tour at change of shift, you might have a (falsely) unfavorable impression of the floor. Ask subtle questions to see if a chaotic appearing floor is usually that way; “How many patients are usually on this floor? Is it full now?” “How many nurses usually work on this unit?” “Do this many doctors usually round at the same time?”
People

Many people must work together to make a unit or floor run. These people can make a difference between your enjoying a job, tolerating it, or hating it. Observe people individually, and as they interact.

* What is the general demeanor of people on the floor—are most people smiling? Frowning? Do they appear hassled? Busy or totally overwhelmed?
* How do people talk to each other? With respect or anger? Patience or impatience? Do they respond pleasantly to each others’ requests and questions?
* How do the nurses treat aids, the unit secretary, etc?
* How are the nurses treated by doctors, aids, the unit secretary, and so on?
* Do people have eye contact with you? Do they greet you? Do they greet the person who is giving you the tour?
* If you are introduced to anyone, does that person respond pleasantly, even if she is in a hurry?
* Are nurses discrete in talking about or asking questions about patients? Are they respectful?
* Do the nurses talk patiently and politely to patients and family members?
* Do the patients and family members appear comfortable and relaxed for the most part? (Considering, of course, that it’s normal for people in a hospital to be in pain and/or nervous.)

Bear in mind, that many factors (not related to the unit or work) can influence a person’s mood. If one or two nurses appear unhappy, upset, or unfriendly, it could be due to outside influences. However, if many or most members appear upset or stressed out, there could be serious interpersonal problems on that unit. When there are unit-wide problems with employees, it can be hard to keep clear of their influence and do your job.

If you have a chance to talk with employees on the unit, here are a few questions to ask:

* “How long have you worked here?” (if several people have worked on the unit for just a few months, the unit could have a high turnover of nurses)
* “Is the unit usually this busy?” If the reply is, “We have more patients than usual” or, “Several nurses called in sick,” it’s probably not usual. However if the reply is, “This is actually a fairly calm day!” you know the usual pace is hectic.

How the unit is run

If you have a few minutes to talk with a nurse or nurses, ask the following questions to find out more about how the unit is run.

* “Do you use computers, paper charting, or a combination of both? May I look at a chart?”
* “Is it hard to learn to use the computer charting system?”
* If you’re applying to work in a long-term care or assisted-living unit, ask about daily, weekly, and monthly charting. In some facilities, charting is redundant—behaviors, bowel movements, etc., might have to be unnecessarily charted in several places. It can become discouraging to spend so much time on charting!
* “What tasks do CNN’s (Certified Nursing Assistants), CMA’s (Certified Medication Aids),do? How are tasks divided between RN’s, LPN’s, the Charge Nurse, etc.?”
* “What do you like best about working here?” The answer “Well . . . the meals are pretty good,” gives you as much insight as to how the unit runs as the answer “I just love working with the nurses—they’re all willing to help each other.”

After the Interview

If you’re confused by mixed signals you felt during your tour (for example, some nurses were very friendly while other appeared very unhappy, or you got very different impressions on different units), consider spending a few minutes in the cafeteria (have a cup of coffee or desert if it’s not meal time) or lobby after your tour.

Within 15-30 minutes of observation, you should be able to get a clearer impression of the overall feeling of the facility. As you observe, ask yourself the following questions.

* Do employees coming into the hospital look happy to be coming to work? Do those leaving look exhausted and discouraged? Do employees talk with each other? Are they polite in holding the door and greeting each other?
* Do most employees seem to get to take their full lunch break, or do most hurry back to the unit within just a few minutes of arriving in the cafeteria? Do the food service workers and nurses chat with each other?
* Do most people sit with others, or do many eat alone? Are individuals invited to sit with groups of other people?
* Are these areas clean and neat?

As soon as possible after the interview and tour take some quiet time by yourself. Sit quietly for a few minutes with your eyes closed. Think back through the tour and the observations you made, and the feelings you had during that tour. If you’re a list-maker, write down your impressions, both positive and negative.

Based on what you observed, you should have a very good idea as to whether you would enjoy working on that unit or not, if you’re offered the job.

Final Words About the Tour

Because your time during the tour is very limited, you’ll also get a limited view of the general atmosphere, people, and how the unit is run. Hopefully you’ll be able to get a strong and accurate impression one way or another, but circumstances might be such that you take away a very good, or very bad, but false, impression after the tour.

If you are offered the job but your impressions are mixed and you don’t think you can make a good decision based on the tour, consider asking for another tour. If you’re uncomfortable doing that, consider visiting the hospital as a visitor and walking through several units, or sitting in the lobby or cafeteria for a little while to see if your first impression was accurate.

By using these tips and hints, the tour will be a valuable tool in making an educated decision about where you might be working!