Clinical scenarios in interview

[rn2109]

I had an interview for a residency position at a large hospital. I've prepared a lot of answers to behavioral questions about career goals and conflict resolution and I think I did well on that part but I totally flubbed the only clinical question they asked me. It was about prioritization.

"You are starting your shift on just after report when the charge nurse pulls you aside to tell you that one of your patients infusion pumps is beeping. She thinks it's the heparin drip. Also another of your patients said her arm was numb and tingling, but she may have slept wrong. There's a doctor on the phone who wants to give you orders and isn't near a computer and another doctor is standing at the desk impatiently waiting for you to do rounds. What order do you complete these things in? Remember you have co-workers"

I can prioritize patients alright when I'm thinking ABC's but this question threw me and I panicked. I can't even remember everything I said but I think it was stupid. I focused on assessing both my patients before talking to the doctors, but I mentioned that maybe another nurse could talk to the doctor on the phone, which in hindsight is probably completely wrong. Any thoughts? How do I become better at these questions, I have no experience other than nursing school and I have been job searching for awhile. I feel like I look stupid for this despite answering well during the rest of the interview

[schnookimz]

I would have let the pump beep for a minute and gone to see the patient with the tingling. Ask the charge nurse to take the orders from the doc on the phone and the doc who is standing and waiting can keep waiting until I make sure the other patient isn't an emergency.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Assess the arm pain first.

Pump can beep for a second or a coworker can check.

Docs can either wait or give orders to charge.

[rn2109]

Ugh I went to assess heparin patient first then arm pain since it may have been slept on wrong. I asked a co-worker to take orders and left doctor to wait for rounds. At least it wasn't horridly off. Thanks for the input, it's been bugging me all week

[BostonFNP, APRN]

Honestly they may have just been looking for you to make a quick decision, commit to it, and explain it if asked.