How to Discuss Transferable Skills (Nursing)

00:01 Oftentimes, we have skills that can be applied to other jobs.

00:05 And we know that.

00:07 But how do we communicate and apply those transferable skills? This may be your first time in this aspect of the medical field.

00:18 But in this lesson, you'll learn how you can identify, communicate, and apply your transferable skills.

00:27 Here is a basic format of conversation and application that I want you to use in your interviews today.

00:37 First, understand and discuss a skill in relation to the job for which you are interviewing.

00:45 Understand some of the basic skills and abilities needed to do the job.

00:52 Take a moment right now.

00:55 What are some of the skills and abilities necessary to be a nurse, a phlebotomist, a nurse's aide, a surgical tech, a nurse practitioner, a doctor, a lab specialists? Whatever your job is, what are the skills necessary? It could be that you need to communicate clearly to others, that you need to work well with a team, that you need to work well in a fast paced environment, that you need to be detailed, that you need to show empathy, that you need to be able to interpret data accurately, that you need to balance a heavy workload.

01:38 You need to be patient.

01:41 Right now, write down five to 10 skills that you need to enter into your desired field.

01:50 These can be knowledge and skills based abilities.

01:55 In your interview, discuss the skills required for the job.

01:59 And then, I want you to think about situations or times when you have exemplified these skills.

02:08 I want you to think of situations when you may have had the opportunity to skill practice.

02:17 For example, if you are applying for a job as a step down cardiac nurse, and you are a new grad, this requires you to communicate with patients handled challenging patient situations, and have quick thinking.

02:34 You might discuss your volunteer work with the American Heart Association in schools, which prepared you to communicate cardiac knowledge on a high level to a non-medical audience, which can help your patient communication.

02:50 For another example, you gained customer service skills while working at a restaurant, which has prepared you to handle challenging patient and patient visitor situations.

03:02 Another example could be that you practice fast response times while working as a lifeguard at a summer camp, that you can respond quickly in a coding situation.

03:16 In any case, I want you to think of a story of when you have exemplified the skills required for your desired job.

03:26 Now, I want you to go a little deeper in your interview.

03:32 When you tell the story of your transferable skill, include what made you successful in that discipline.

03:41 Let's stick to the new grads stepped down cardiac nurse as an example.

03:46 You could say, the importance of quick thinking and fast action in this role reminds me of my experience as a lifeguard at a summer camp.

03:58 I had an adult have a seizure while he was in the pool.

04:04 And so I jumped in. I safely strapped him to the rescue board.

04:10 And then, I pulled him out of the water.

04:12 Then, I provided basic care until the paramedics arrived.

04:17 I was successful because I recognize the situation quickly.

04:22 I stayed calm and focused on what needed to be done in that moment.

04:28 While I made eight rescues that summer, the man with a seizure really gave me an opportunity to practice fast action and quick thinking in high stakes situations.

04:41 This may not be directly related to step down cardiac nursing.

04:47 But it does exemplify transferable skills of staying calm in high stakes situations, quickly recognizing needs, and taking actions.

04:59 Now, this is a really good example.

05:02 Let me give you another example that you might use.

05:05 You could say, "In this job, I know that I will have to balance a heavy patient load and provide excellent care.

05:14 I will lean on my skills in customer service, to ensure a positive patient experience.

05:21 I have demonstrated customer service when I was a waiter at a local Mexican restaurant for three summers.

05:27 And sometimes we had challenging customers.

05:31 One time, we were understaffed.

05:33 And I had to work 12 tables by myself.

05:37 There was one table that was especially challenging with many requests, short wait time expectations, and frankly, of rude attitude.

05:49 I did not have much bandwidth to give to these customers.

05:53 But I wanted them to have an excellent experience.

05:57 I decided to stop and talk with this table to hear their stories and explain our situation.

06:04 Through clear communication and relating to the customers, the emotions calmed, and the atmosphere became more relaxed as the table was able to more understandingly and confidently enjoy their meal.

06:19 I learned through this experience, how to better balance the demands of the job and the importance of human connection.

06:29 If I am working with patients, I understand there may be times when I am overwhelmed.

06:37 I will keep this idea of balancing demands and human connection to better ensure an excellent patient experience.

06:48 This is also a good example of effectively relating transferable skills.

06:56 You may know how your skills, abilities, and knowledge can be transferred to a new job.

07:04 But there is not a guarantee that the interviewer will truly see the connection between these two skills.

07:13 It is up to you as the storyteller, to help guide the interviewer to see the powerful connection between your past experiences and future opportunities.

07:26 So, when sharing your transferable skills, here's what I want you to do.

07:33 First, talk about the skills directly related to the job.

07:40 Then, tell a story including the transferable skill.

07:45 After that, include a resource, mindset, or approach that you use to be successful in that skill.

07:54 Finally, apply that skill to the new job.

08:00 In your job hunt, knowing how to convey your transferable skills can help you in your job hunt.

08:08 Once you have the job, understanding how to apply transferable skills is one way that you can be more successful and perform at a higher level within your team.

08:21 It can help increase confidence, abilities, and overall performance within a team.