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Adventist Health Registered Nurse Mock Interview

Question 3 of 30 for our Adventist Health Registered Nurse Mock Interview

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Question 3 of 30

Tell me about a time when you committed an error in your nursing career. How did you handle it?

"Since I am a new nurse, I am very watchful in my practice. Earlier this year, I did make a serious medical error when I first started working on my own on the peds floor at the hospital. In pediatrics, weight is usually documented in kilograms since recommended medication doses are documented in kilograms. Upon intake, I entered the patient's weight in the system, and when it automatically converted to kilograms, I thought it was a mistake, so I adjusted it to reflect the patient's weight in pounds. This was a big mistake because it made it so the patient would be getting much more medication than they were supposed to. At first, I didn't realize what I had done, but later while I was entering history and physical on another patient, I realized my mistake. As soon as I was finished with this patient, I immediately informed my supervisor of my mistake. Luckily, the patient had not received medication yet, but an error was still documented, and I went through a training program to ensure I understood how to document weight properly."

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How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you committed an error in your nursing career. How did you handle it?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Adventist Health job interview.

  • 3. Tell me about a time when you committed an error in your nursing career. How did you handle it?

      How to Answer

      No matter the career or profession, mistakes happen in the workplace. In the medical field and nursing practice, mistakes are often medical errors that can adversely impact the patient. The repercussions of medical errors can range anywhere from minor to very severe and life-threatening. When a health professional commits a medical error, it is essential that they immediately report the error and do not attempt to cover it up. To successfully answer this question, you should take the time to explain a situation in your career when you committed a medical error and clearly explain how you took action to resolve and report the situation. A stronger answer to the question would include details of what you learned from the error and how learning from the situation will prevent them from making a similar mistake when employed at Adventist Health.

      Answer Example

      "Since I am a new nurse, I am very watchful in my practice. Earlier this year, I did make a serious medical error when I first started working on my own on the peds floor at the hospital. In pediatrics, weight is usually documented in kilograms since recommended medication doses are documented in kilograms. Upon intake, I entered the patient's weight in the system, and when it automatically converted to kilograms, I thought it was a mistake, so I adjusted it to reflect the patient's weight in pounds. This was a big mistake because it made it so the patient would be getting much more medication than they were supposed to. At first, I didn't realize what I had done, but later while I was entering history and physical on another patient, I realized my mistake. As soon as I was finished with this patient, I immediately informed my supervisor of my mistake. Luckily, the patient had not received medication yet, but an error was still documented, and I went through a training program to ensure I understood how to document weight properly."

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