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Discussion

Behavioral Interview Questions based on real nursing situations

I'm a new grad and recently applied for a job position. At the end of the application there was a simulation program in which questions were prompted based on "real" nursing situations. Example of the types of questions include things like (making up the question) "You're nearing the end of a busy shift when a co-worker approaches you and asks you to pick up a medication from the pharmacy downstairs. You tell the nurse you will do it after you finish documenting. Then another co-worker comes over and says there are 2 admits to the unit and you are taking 1 of them. What are the best and worst things to do in this situation?" Then 5 or so options are listed and include things like, "Work over-time to get the job done." "Contact a manager." Etc.

As a new graduate I have not had an opportunity have much experience beyond my clinical rotations.

I went through some of the threads about interviewing and saw the situational and behavioral interview questions and answers. But these are more case specific than just "Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult choice". Etc.

Does anyone know where guidance to how to handle these situations and answer these type of questions can be found? Thank you!

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    They know you're new and haven't had much clinical experience. It's perfectly OK to use a non-hospital example for a behavioral question.

    It's also perfectly OK to say, "I have never been in that situation/seen that condition/whatever. If it came up tomorrow, I would ask my preceptor/charge nurse/look it up in the policy and procedure manual/call the pharmacy to ask what the med was/ask the patient to give me more information..."

    The commonality here is the same as with NCLEX questions-- it's ABC/patient safety first, then it's "get more information (to avoid making an uninformed mistake)."

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    There is no wrong answer to a behavioral interview question. The main goal of a behavioral interview is to determine previous behavior because previous behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. So it is best to answer those type of questions with your experiences, even as a student. But, in questions that you think you have not had any experience to share, honestly inform the interviewer that "I haven't experienced that but in case that will happen, I will blah..blah..blah."

    Remember that the HR is just measuring your compatibility in the organization and the job you are applying for. Do not take everything personally.

    So, good luck!!!

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