NHS sterile services interview

DogsBody

I have an interview for a post as a local decontamination unit operator next Wednesday:j

I have relevant experience (different sector) and I'm reasonably happy that I can deal with 'practical' type questions, but I suspect that as it's NHS it's going to be a 'competency based' interview, and I've never had one of those in my life :eek:

Any tips?

And what on earth do they want when they say, " tell us a bit about yourself...."? Did I mention :eek:

Cheers all!

Jinx

Ive done a couple of competency based interviews now, I think they all have a bit of this in it....

They pretty much all ask for a scenario I think.... 'can you tell us of a time where your intiative helped your team and what did you achieve' kinda thing.... I saw a comment the other day and I think the person said you have to set the scene... then say exactly what your key role was and follow it with the outcome. (I think I used the example that I had to recruit 10 temps on a friday afternoon so we could fulfil an order on the monday for a client).

Personally I hate interviews..........but Ive just been offered a job so we CAN do it!

Very best of luck for your interview

SueC_2

I suspect that in a sterile services role (or any role where technical skills are the crux of the job) then what you call 'practical' type questions are exactly the same as 'competency based' questions. ie. It's all about proving you can do the job, as opposed to theoreticals.

If you are an experienced sterile services technician, I would expect you to be asked questions like:

- Tell us about a time when your department has been under exceptional pressure to meet turnaround time deadlines, how you coped with that pressure, and what you did to ensure that the deadlines were met.

- Has there been an instance where you have been asked to process a set that you were unfamiliar with? How did you cope with this and how did you ensure that you had correctly inspected each of the instruments?

- Has there been a time when your job was affected by equipment failure of some kind, and if so how did you deal with this to help ensure that the effect of this on the service was minimised?

- Have you ever had to deal with an angry customer who felt their needs weren't being met? Did you feel their complaint was justified, and how did you handle it?

- Have you ever been responsible for training less experienced staff than yourself? Tell us how you approached this and how you made sure that they were working to the required standards.

- Have you ever been involved in a quality audit of any kind? What is your understanding of the standards that need to be met in a sterile services environment?

There are probably loads more, but that should give you an idea of the type of thing to expect (in my opinion).

As for "Tell us a bit about yourself", well, start by thinking of all the things that you WOULDN'T want them to know (I hate working for a living and only do it because I asbolutely have to / I like to go down the pub on a Friday night and get absolutely trollied / I've hated every manager I've ever worked for / As soon as I find a better job I'll be off). Now, forget all those things and tell them a bit about what's left.

To be honest, experienced Sterile Service Technicians are like gold-dust, I'd imagine you'd have to try pretty hard NOT to get the job.

Good luck.

DogsBody

Thanks very much you two!!!:beer:
I don't usually mind interviews Jinx (been a good while mind ) but I'm not a fan of 'tell us about a time when......' unless it's actually related to the job, i'm more of a WYSiWYG type, ask me something technical

Good luck with your new job!:D

Thanks SueC, I'd thought of some of those, and wouldn't struggle with a few more - the 'angry customer' is a surprise though, but I can cover it from my 'other' job There's two posts, so I've got two chances! But now I'm going to be filled with shame and embarrassment if I have to come in here on Thursday and say I didn't get the job

Thanks again

SueC_2

DogsBody wrote: »

the 'angry customer' is a surprise though,

Never had a raging theatre nurse stampeding through the department because she can't find the set she wants...?

Let us know how you get on.

DogsBody

Interview went well, but pretty certain I haven't got the job! Handed over my CRB and ID paperwork at the start, not interested in copying any of it, kind of gives the game away

I got the 'why do you want this job?' and the 'tell us about a time when you worked well in a team' questions, and the rest was all practical based (computer experience, handling breakdowns, transport of contaminated stuff between sites, audits, standard operating procedures and codes of practice etc). They were very nice and answered all my questions very thoroughly, but I got the impression they weren't bothered about stretching me too much - think there must be internal folk lined up

Can't complain, I've been the internal person before, good practise etc

Think my not having a car would've been a dealbreaker anyway, if they hadn't already got someone else in mind. Oh well, next!:D

SueC_2

DogsBody wrote: »

Interview went well, but pretty certain I haven't got the job! Handed over my CRB and ID paperwork at the start, not interested in copying any of it, kind of gives the game away

I got the 'why do you want this job?' and the 'tell us about a time when you worked well in a team' questions, and the rest was all practical based (computer experience, handling breakdowns, transport of contaminated stuff between sites, audits, standard operating procedures and codes of practice etc). They were very nice and answered all my questions very thoroughly, but I got the impression they weren't bothered about stretching me too much - think there must be internal folk lined up

Can't complain, I've been the internal person before, good practise etc

Think my not having a car would've been a dealbreaker anyway, if they hadn't already got someone else in mind. Oh well, next!:D

I'm guessing from some of your comments that you are looking at a level more senior than Technician? Which could, as you say, make it more likely that there would be an internal candidate already lined up.

I still stick by what I said though - experienced SSD folk are very very rare. If you were to make contact with all of your local Trusts (some of which will probably be running contracted-out departments, which may or may not be of interest you) I'm pretty sure you will eventually hit lucky.