random ED interview question i got asked

[Skylar86]

Hi guys.

I just finished having a skype interview for a position in the emergency department. I felt that the interview went really well except one question in particular which I felt I didn't answer very well at all.. I was wanting to get your thoughts on it.. what would your answer have been?

the question:

"You just came back from morning tea and have three new patients to look after. One has abdo pain, one has leg pain, and the other has a fever.. how do you prioritize your care?"

i found the question difficult in that there really wasn't enough info to go by. I kind of stumbled a bit and it took me awhile to answer but i think i said something along the lines of..

"Well I would need to know more about them so I would have asked whoever handed them over to me for more information and advice on who they thought I should see first" then i think i went on and talked about pain...

Then the interview said "Well what if I told you that the abdo pain tested positive for pregnancy, the leg pain was a fractured neck of femur, (and i think she said the fever was related to an infection)"

what would your answer have been? is that enough info for you to decide who you would see first? would you have based your priority on pain or? its driving me nuts! i just need to know so i am prepared in my next interview.. cheers!

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Yes, clearly it is a hypothetical question in which there is no "right" answer, but I think these kinds of questions can be fun.

Without the supplemental information, the abdominal pain could have been anything from menstrual cramps to a AAA, the leg pain anything from osteoarthritis to an arterial clot, and the fever anything from an URI to septic shock from a perforated viscus. It would be nearly impossible to prioritize which patient you would assess first without asking for more information, because each of them could have something going on that requires immediate intervention. Clearly it is a question designed to make the applicant think, and to evaluate that thought process.

Still, fun to answer.

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

You treat your patients after you have fully assessed them - their allergies, history, pain score etc, then make a decision from there.

There isn't usually a correct answer in these interview situations - they are looking at critical thinking. You have to get a whole picture of what is happening with each patient before deciding upon care.

If you're new, you can also say something like you would always ask a senior nurse for advice - no-one can hold that against you, as that still shows critical thinking. And I AlWAYS stress that I would follow their or hospital policy firstly.

You probably did OK, don't worry too much, good luck.