How do you answer those questions? (conflict and stress)

[rainedsoul]

I had two interviews from different hospitals, one was open house interview and the other one was a new-grad program. I did not get any phone calls.

I was curious how other nurses would answer these questions?

1) How do you handle conflicts with co-workers?

I was not sure if this is a tricky question,

should I say that I would discuss the conflict with my co-worker if this is something can be solved?

or should I say that I would go to the supervisor right away?

I was not sure what kind of answer they wanted.

2) How do you handle stress at work place?

I paused for few seconds when I was asked this question.

I said that I would prioritize my tasks first and work from top to the bottom. If it is something can be corrected, I tend to find a way to work it out. If not, I try to be realistic and go to next problem.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Question #1: There is no one right answer. In truth, it depends on the specifics of the situation. That's what you should be discussing in your answer. Do you recognize a variety of options and choose the most appropriate one for the situation? What are the factors you would consider when choosing how to react in a situation involving a potential conflict?

Question #2: Your answer was fine -- but it is also an "it depends" questions. Discuss the various possibilities and the factors you would consider important in making your choice.

Beginners (such as yourself) often think there is a "trick" or "one right answer" that interviewers are looking for. ("If I just knew the magic words, I would say them.") But more often than not, they are asking questions that give you some room to demonstrate how you think and problem solve. They want to see you can identify a wide variety of possibilities in a complex situation and are not "stuck" in repeating a single response to every situation. Giving some examples or discussing some hypotheticals to illustrate your points can be a way to demonstrate that, but are not always necessary.

I hope that helps.