need help with interview question

[Ms.RN]

How would you anwswer this question?

. Tell me about a time when your values conflicted with the work you do, or with the work of your current organization? How did you manage that conflict?

[JustEnuff2BDangerous, BSN, RN]

I guess it depends on the situation, and what it is that conflicts... You do what is best for the patient, or you do what the patient wants (within reason, obviously), as long as that is within your scope of practice and will not cause harm to the patient or to yourself. If it is absolutely something you cannot compromise on, speak to management to see if something can be worked out.

:)

[perseus29]

I've had a similar question in an interview before and my response was:

Upon learning that my assigned tasks were not in alignment with my values, I immediately informed my manager about my concerns. I explained to them why the tasks assigned confliced with my values, and I also gave them an alternative solution as to how the conflict could be resolved. Management and I came to an agreement and the issue was resolved.

At this point the interviewer could ask about details of the problem, but then You can say that you would rather not divulge such details as respect for your previous employer. Again, that could be also testing if you're the type that's willing to talk bad about your employer so my policy is that when interviewing, is best to speak generically. In my case they were satisfied with my answer.

I believe what's important is expressing the fact that you are willing to discuss the issue with management and also you are willing to provide and alternative solution; not just saying, 'sorry, i cant do this because it's against my values.' Also, you don't want to make a choice without informing management about your decision. Gotta keep everybody in the loop as to why you do what you do.

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

This is in line with Behaviorial interview techniques which most employers are doing now. I utilize the same when I interview potiential staff. Basically what I look for is statement of the problem itself, what you did to resolve it and what was the result. Not only myself but in interviews I have been in they generally want a specific situation not a "potential" situation. A good site I recommend for people not familar with this type interview is located at

http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_behavioral.html

It's not specific to nursing but can be easily adjusted. Pre-prepare yourself by jotting down potential questions and specify the situation, how you handled it, what the end result was. It can be a poor or bad result it doesnt matter, they just want to see what you learned from it and what you recognized from it. Not scenarios that may or may not happen.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I agree with Lacie a specific answer that describes a conflict situation you experienced, your action, the results and whether or not you would do anything differently and why, will provide the information the interviewer is looking for.

regards

dishes

[aromarn]

say something like , "I try to stay clam, recollect my thought and re approach the matter with new perspective" also mention something about " I respect everyone's opinion" hope this hepls

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

i am sure it won't be hard to think of something if you have any kind of work or school history... when i was a tech i had to deal with a lot of backbiting and gossip, so much so, that i sadly had many recent examples from which to choose when i interviewed for my rn position! please note, when discussing conflict management be sure to give it a positive spin because that is what employers want to hear. as a rn you will have to deal with many conflicts and being able to manage them in a positive way makes the difference in your customer service.

-rn/waitress