In our second look at nursing key selection criteria responses, we will round off the key areas to address and take a closer look at how to apply the Registered Nurse Standards for Practice to your answers to give the most fully rounded response possible.
Clinical Knowledge and Skills
When giving examples in knowledge and skills, identifying its relationship to clinical practice and patient and organisational outcomes is favourable. Using the STAR technique to demonstrate your example of clinical knowledge and skills should be applied to the question. Identification of your strengths and perceived weaknesses and how to resolve them displays insight and the ability to be taught and improve, which is also favourable to many employers.
Quality Improvement (QI)
Many individuals have limited experience in QI initiatives, and for many, answering this question can be one of the toughest. The simplest way, especially if new to nursing and thinking about participation in QI, is to consider the National Safety & Quality Healthcare Standards (NSQHS), its eight areas of accreditation and auditing within the hospital environment, and what tools exist for nurses to practice to meet these Standards. Outside of this, and for more experienced nurses, those who research, or lead projects will be able to provide more detailed and outcome-based examples that demonstrate knowledge, participation and understanding of QI and its place within the healthcare setting.
To sum up, when looking for a job, much more goes into it than having just a good resume and cover letter. The selection criteria are a list of requirements you must satisfy to qualify for a job and is an important part of your application. Generally, if you do not supply answers that address the selection criteria, you will not be considered for the job. Selection criteria represent the key qualifications, training, abilities, knowledge, personal attributes, skills and experience a person must have in order to do a job effectively, found in every position description. You must meet the selection criteria in order to be considered for a position.
The key selection criteria are how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resume and experience. Your statement of claims against the Selection Criteria should summarise how your skills and experiences would enable you to fulfil the responsibilities of the position. It is, therefore, in your best interest to present your application in a way that demonstrates significant outcomes associated with each of the criteria, as well as the capabilities and behaviours that reinforce them.
The way you address the key selection criteria should always refer back to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia standards. Make sure your answers properly reflect the standards but do not just parrot them, ensure they are congruently reflecting your particular example. This will show that not only is your work and your demonstrated example correctly addressing the criteria, but it also shows the reader that you are aware of and adheres to the standards as they apply to the question and your particular level of nursing.
Remember to adhere strictly to word, page or character limits; proof-read (and proof-read again) your document, and above all, ensure it is ‘on-message’ at all times; that is, it does not waiver from the requirement of the particular question.
If you feel addressing your nursing key selection criteria document is too difficult a task – and many experienced as well as graduates do – at Nursing Resumes our professional and writers are highly experienced in writing nursing criteria documents for an extremely wide variety of role levels and situations. We know what the hospital and healthcare entities are looking for, and we will help you develop those perfect examples and convert them into winning prose that will give you your best opportunity to get shortlisted for an interview. We are here 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and our friendly team is not only there to prepare your documents, but we can also coach you through the interview process as well. So do not worry about the application, just worry about what to wear for the interview!
