curious.......

[texas_lvn]

So, my boyfriend got a question close to this one during an interview, and I believe that in nursing this question is a constant battle for nurses to prioritize.

while at work, you see a colleague struggling with a task that could clearly be done more efficiently and effectively with a few changes. However, you are working on a project that requires all your attention. If you offer your colleague help, it may cause you to miss your deadline. If you don't, it is possible that your colleague may fail their task. How would you handle the situation? Why did you choose to handle the situation this way? What are the pros and cons of your approach?

I answered that unless it was a life and death situation that I believe the "higher ups" would understand if my deadline was a few minutes past. By helping my teammate, I am in fact being a team player and it could help me in the future because my teammate may have suggestions for me. The only con I can see by not providing the teamwork would be if it was a life/death situation.

So, whatta ya think?

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I would have to agree with you. However, I think that I would let whoever was heading up the project know what was going on and that I would not be able to meet the deadline due to this reason. That way if the higher ups have some objections to my plan they could be voiced before the project was late. They could then have someone else finish the project, help my co-worker, or assist me to finish the project on time if they felt the project must be finished on time.

Overall, I think that your anwser shows a willingness to be a team player and do what is need to help the unit run as smoothly as possible.

[texas_lvn]

thanks! That is how I tried to explain it to my bf, I also told him that I couldnt imagine not being a team player,

[nicurn001]

another possibility , would be to clarify what the project was , because as a nurse your priority should be nursing care , if the project was not hands on care of the patient , then it could wait whilst you helped your coworker and gave good customer care to the patient .

[maverickra]

So did he get the job???