Interview Question confusion

[RNLola035]

I dont know if I'm stupid or something but I just had an interview and for some reason I didn't understand it much.

It was "Describe a time when you put together a team during your preceptorship?"

I mean aren't we always a part of a team..Arent we always helping each other out..Like I couldnt describe a specific situation because somehow I couldnt see what they were looking for.

This one stumped me. ugh!

[Wren]

Des...it is too late for this interview but each interview that you have prepares you for the next. The interviewer might have been looking to see if you knew how to ask for help or knew how to work together. If you are working on a floor as an RN you will still be part of a team but you do much of your work independently.

So one example could be how you identified a patient who had psycho-social needs and you brought in a social worker to consult on the patient or...you and a colleague teamed up during your time on a floor to safely move the patient in bed. If you asked your preceptor for more experience (learning to start IVs for instance) you could describe how you initiated that training, helped the IV nurse and gained valuable experience...etc.

If you can't think of something from the clinical environment, you could offer how you organized a group of students to study together on the weekend in preparation for a test.

Obviously you will have to pick things that you actually did but I bet if you think back over your preceptor time, you will be able to identify times where you initiated team work!

Good luck on your next interview!

[llg, PhD, RN]

For future interviews (and for others reading this thread), I recommend practicing answering questions you don't fully understand. There is no way you can expect to have a brilliant answer for every possible question that might be asked. So, it is important to know how you will handle it when you are stumped.

I suggest you smile, take a deep breath, and ask for more clarification. Admit that you are a little confused by the question and don't know exactly what the interviewer means. Appear reasonably calm and sufficiently comfortable with your abilities to admit that you need a little help with this question, demonstrating that you will not hesitate to seek help when you need it.

As the interviewer responds to your question, he/she will clarify the question a bit and give you both information and time to formulate you next response.

Also, don't be afraid to say you need a moment to think or to ask a specific question in return, such as ... "Do you mean, when I was a team leader and led a team? ... or do you mean simply, for me to discuss a time when I was a team member?" Once again, as the interviewer answers your question, that will give you more insight into what he/she is looking for, give you a little more time to think, and demonstrate that you can and will seek clarification when appropriate. You turn a potentially negative situation into one that makes you look good.

Also, don't be afraid to say that you can't think of an example that matches their question exactly. "I can't think of a specific example of when I formed a team, but certainly I was an active member of many teams throughout my preceptorship." ... and then expand with some general examples of teamwork and your views on teamwork. Once again, showing that you are confident enough to not try to fake your response ... but that you have experience with teamwork and values that are consistent with theirs. Such an answer shows you in a positive light even though your answer didn't exactly match the wording of their question.

So ... practice a few strategies to handle those questions that "throw you" so that you can remain "graceful" in those situations that inevitably come up from time to time.

[RNLola035]

Thanks for your help I understand now!!