Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a patient.
"I speak three languages, including Vietnamese, and during my clinical rotation, we had a patient who only spoke Vietnamese. The patient wasn't assigned to me, but I found out that she didn't have any visitors, and none of the nursing staff spoke Vietnamese, so they had to use a translator via phone whenever the translator was available. I volunteered to translate during our rounding and throughout the shift. Instead of only translating the basic medical questions and needs, I frequently visited throughout my shift to say hello and converse, even helping her fill out her menu selections for the week. The patient felt very isolated and worried because of the language barrier, and I was able to use my ability to help calm the patient and have conversations that helped her not feel so isolated."
Cleveland Clinic is focused on providing exceptional patient care and achieving high patient satisfaction ratings. A question relating to your ability to go that extra mile for patients will likely come up in some form, so have an example ready to share with the interviewer. Perhaps a patient had a situation that required creative problem-solving and thinking outside the box, or maybe they faced a difficult situation that you supported them through.
"I had an elderly patient admitted to my unit who always seemed depressed. When I had extra time, I would visit with her and get to know her, and I found out that she didn't have any family left and was very lonely. We formed a strong connection and friendship, discovering that we only lived two miles apart! After she was discharged from the hospital, I continued to keep in touch with her and would bring her meals, help her run errands, pick up her medications, and even invite her to our home on holidays until she passed."
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