Patient care requires a strong amount of compassion. Kaiser Permanente strives to provide compassionate care to their patients. Do you consider yourself a compassionate person?
As pioneers in preventative medicine and leading groundbreaking medical research, Kaiser Permanente knows compassionate and personalized care is important to the patients they care for and the nonprofit health plan members they insure. Your interviewer needs to be assured that you will bring a high level of compassion. Talk to the interviewer about the compassionate qualities that you possess and that you'd bring to this role by giving a real-life example or two from your work history.
"Yes, I absolutely do and know that your integrated care and coverage model is built upon meeting and exceeding the needs of your members. Even on the longest and most strenuous shifts, keeping a smile on my face and remaining focused on each patient interaction is a top priority for me. With compassion in the form of providing kindness and empathy in caring for patients and colleagues being one of Kaiser Permanente's core values, I look forward to bringing a compassionate approach to this role by being an active listener at all times, being a servant to those that I'm caring for, and being fully engaged in the work I'm performing directly with patients."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
I see myself as a compassionate person; I see more than a sick person picking up their prescription. I don't know what the patient could be going through, but showing I care for them and treating them like family will make a difference for them to feel better.
Rachelle's Feedback
This is a great response, and it shows that you truly do care about the people that you come across every day.
Anonymous Answer
I have much compassion for my patients because I remember how terrifying my lengthy hospitalization as a 10-year-old was. As a result, my empathy guides me to be gentle and honest during a procedure. My goal is to have my patients view me as a healer and someone they trust to take care of them.
Amanda's Feedback
Compassion and empathy are dual characteristics that are vital to providing high-quality medical care to patients. Our ability to be compassionate with others is often rooted in our own life experiences, meaning those that have experienced suffering can sometimes have a greater capacity for compassion than anyone else. You can make this answer more impactful by explaining why you experienced a lengthy hospital stay as a child and how that influenced you. Do you remember receiving compassionate care during that time that inspired you to want to care for others in a similar way? Are there specific actions you take to express compassion, such as always using a patient's name, actively listening to their concerns, allowing them to ask questions, and expressing how the procedure will help them toward the goal of healing?
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I do consider myself a compassionate person. We don’t always know what a patient’s situation is when they are coming in so I always try to be as gentle and kind as possible for them to feel at ease. This can help them to feel open explaining why they are not in the best mood or what is troubling them. And the whole visit is much smoother that way.
Jaymie's Feedback
Excellent job! It's important to be compassionate in healthcare, and it sounds like you understand the importance of empathy and perspective when working with patients.
Anonymous Answer
I think that those who choose to be in the social work profession have some level of compassion. I chose this profession for that very reason. I consider myself a very compassionate person who finds joy in helping others and I do so in an empathetic and caring way.
Jaymie's Feedback
Compassion is important in every role at Kaiser Permanente. It sounds like you're passionate about caring for and helping others.
Anonymous Answer
I definitely consider myself a compassionate person. Looking back on my time in the restaurant industry, I never shied away from putting myself in a position to assist customers with whatever their needs were and going beyond. Whether it be ensuring customers with food allergies have a safe meal, going out of my way to assist an elderly customer getting in and out of their seat, or paying out of my own pocket to make sure a customer gets a free meal for their birthday. I always try to treat customers as if they were an extension of my family. I believe the compassion I bring can add value to Kaiser Permanente if given the opportunity.
Jaymie's Feedback
Excellent! You did a great job tying in your customer service skills from your restaurant experience, and it's easy to see how those would transfer into patient care in healthcare.
Anonymous Answer
Yes, I do consider myself a compassionate person, whenever someone tells me about their struggles or a situation they are in, I put myself in their shoes and try to see what they are going through because I want to understand it from their perspective. I try my best to listen and give caring advice and not any judgment to someone telling me their struggles.
Jaymie's Feedback
Really trying to see things from another person's perspective is such a valuable attribute in healthcare! Being a good listener, displaying empathy and kindness, and not judging others are all excellent ways to demonstrate compassion in the workplace. Nice job!
Unlock all 37 Kaiser Permanente questions
Prepare for behavioral and clinical questions unique to integrated healthcare interviews.
Get Started