Preparing for an emergency room technician interview requires much in terms of learning what the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate.
To be perfectly candid, the interviewer will want to know about your past experiences in this role, and how much you have accomplished in it.
Before the interview, make sure that you find out who might be asking questions.
You can also go through specific questions asked by ER tech candidates to prepare for the process.
Even though there is no way that you can know for sure what questions will be asked during your emergency room technician interview, it is best to go through common questions such as the ones provided below:
32 Common Questions and Answers for Emergency Room Technician Interview
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I have been working as an emergency room technician for 4 years. My career as one was no accident – I had always wanted to work as an ER tech and obtained my certification and training with great focus.
2. What specific duties have you performed in the role of an emergency room technician?
As an emergency room technician, I have been involved in many processes, including receiving patients and performing intake work. My work also includes monitoring blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, and collecting samples for testing purposes. In addition, I am responsible for transporting patients and fitting them with crutches and casts. Wound care is also part of my work.
3. What skills do you possess which make you an excellent person to hire as an emergency room technician?
I am a very thorough individual, who leaves no stone unturned to ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care. In addition, I am adept at communicating with patients and their families and can effectively provide education to them regarding their conditions. Moreover, I am well-versed in dressing wounds, administering medication, and handling intake work.
4. What do you like most about this work?
Being in a position of assistance to distressed individuals makes this work worth my while.
5. What do you not like about this position?
I obviously feel sad when a patient brought to the ER does not make it. I understand that it is all part and parcel of the work, but it is quite upsetting at times.
6. How do you remain focused on your work?
For someone as emotionally organized as me, remaining focused has never been an issue. I know what I have to do, and I make sure that my focus does not waiver.
7. How do you handle conflict in the workplace?
An emergency room is usually quite busy, which leaves very little room or opportunity for conflict. On some rare occasions that it does happen, my focus remains on my work, so I don’t pay much heed to the conflict. I try my best to keep the resolution part for after-hours so that it does not affect my work.
8. What do you find most challenging about this work?
Working as an ER tech, one comes across many challenging situations. But what I find most challenging is saving a patient’s life.
9. How do you handle panicking families?
I calm them down as best as I can and try to place their focus on what we are doing to help their family member. I provide as much support as I can, both emotionally, and physically.
10. What is your ideal work environment?
I feel that one needs to work alongside each rather, rather than against them. An environment where everyone understands this is an ideal one.
11. Why do you want to leave your current job?
The hospital where I am presently working is a small facility and does not have many emergency cases. I feel that I do not have much work there. I think that I should use my skills and expertise in a place where people actually need them.
12. Why do you want to work for us particularly?
I am interested in working as an emergency room technician at your facility because it has the highest rate of emergencies, considering it is a big hospital. I am sure that such a facility needs more people to handle ER processes. I also feel that by working here, I will be able to apply my best skills in contributing to your facility’s needs.
13. What is one of your major accomplishments?
As I mentioned, my present work is a small facility. There aren’t many people in the ER department. On a very quiet day, we received a patient who was apparently going into cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, there was no doctor available, as the only one was handling a patient in a post-operative room. I had no choice but to attend to the patient. I successfully resuscitated her, and saved her life, all by myself. I believe that this was my best accomplishment.
14. What is your greatest strength?
My greatest strength is my ability to quickly provide medical staff members with all resources that they need, without them asking for them.
15. What is your greatest weakness?
My greatest weakness is probably my desire to do more than I can physically and emotionally handle.
16. What would you do if you saw a fellow ER tech not performing their work properly?
My first instinct would be to guide them to do things properly. If that does not work, I will have no choice but to inform my supervisor, as we cannot have anyone not working according to the protocol in an ER environment.
17. How would you handle a case of supplies theft if you knew the perpetrator?
Again, I would have no choice but to report the offender, as taking lifesaving supplies is a gross offense.
18. How do you deal with pressure at the workplace?
I define my priorities so well that I do not feel the pressure of things at all.
19. Tell me about a mistake that you made?
In my early years as an ER tech, I was assisting with an emergency, where I was asked to hand a bandage to dress a wound. Not knowing what kind of bandage was needed, and looking at the enormity of the problem, I handed the medical staff member the wrong type of bandage – it was more like one that is used on small cuts. I was obviously told off. But this taught me to keep my eyes and ears open, as, in emergent situations, there is no place for mistakes, even if they are seemingly as small as the wrong bandage size.
20. What motivates you the most?
I am highly motivated in a charged environment. When the going gets tough, I get going!
21. How quickly do you adapt to new technology?
I am proud to say that I am quite tech-savvy. I can adapt to new technology immediately, and since I love exploring, I learn things quickly.
22. Have you ever worked in a leadership role?
As a matter of fact, I have. I volunteered to train newly hired ER techs to provide excellent services. I was responsible for mentoring them and providing them with ER education as well.
23. What are your interests outside of work?
I regularly volunteer at other hospitals and medical centers. I also perform outreach activities for fund collection for cancer patients.
24. What do you think your present workplace can do better?
I believe that my present workplace could do better if they hired someone to train the existing staff and bring more staff on board.
25. Are you a team player, or do you like working alone?
I am a team player for sure. However, I can work solo when my work demands it.
26. How do you feel about working weekends or late hours?
If my work demands that I work weekends and late hours, I would not mind doing so. For me, duty always comes first.
27. Do you have any serious medical conditions?
No. Thankfully, I have no serious medical conditions. The worst is my hay fever.
28. Do you think that you are a risk-taker?
Where patients are concerned, no. I would never take a risk when I know that my lack of knowledge or resources could be fatal. Where other things in life are concerned, I do sometimes take risks to feel a bit more alive. But never within my scope of work.
29. How would your current supervisor describe you?
I am sure that he will say that I am a highly enthusiastic individual, who leaves no stone unturned to help patients, families, and medical staff members.
30. If we decide to hire you, when can you join us at the earliest?
I am required to provide 14 days’ notice to my present employer. As soon as I serve that notice, I will be able to join you.
31. What are your 5-year plans?
I want to climb the ladder as an ER nurse within the next 5 years.
32. Do you have any questions for me?
Please tell me about the kind of emergency cases your hospital gets, and their frequency.
Related: Emergency Room Technician Resume Sample