Kaiser Permanente Mock Interview
Practice 37 Kaiser Permanente interview questions covering integrated care, patient-centered values, and healthcare teamwork.
Question 3 of 37
Working at Kaiser Permanente, there are many emotions that staff can experience in a day. Have your emotions ever been in the way of your productivity on the job?
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Example Answer
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Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
As a medical industry giant with the nation's largest non-profit health plan and 40 large hospitals across the western and southern United States, the team at Kaiser Permanente handles many different situations that patients and members can experience. Depending on the role you are interviewing for, this can include things like coverage being denied on claims and a bad diagnosis to great things like a successful operation that saves a life. Your interviewer wants to her that you will come to the Kaiser Permanente team with the ability to handle all of the highs and lows you will experience there. A key to answering this question is making sure you fully understand all of the duties you will be performing and having some foresight into what could be the highs and lows of the job. Since they ask, make sure to discuss how you've handled challenging emotions on the job in the past to give the sense you'll do well in this role.
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"Even though I've been in many emotionally difficult situations throughout my career in physical therapy, I've simply never let those emotions get in the way of my work, my production, or providing great care to a patient. From what I've learned from the team today, this Sacramento clinic is very busy and I will be evaluating many patients per day. Some will have some very debilitating injuries and have their personal lives impacted negatively. Rather than focusing on their current state, I'm a forward thinker and would help them refocus their injury to the rehab and what it will take to become fully functional again."
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Anonymous Answer
I'm human, and of course, I feel sad if one of my patients has bad news if a customer dies or something happens to my coworkers or someone I care about, but I also don't let those feelings affect my job and productivity.
Rachelle's Feedback
There is a balance between allowing normal emotion and allowing it to impact your work. It seems you have found that balance. Nice work!
Anonymous Answer
I care about the patient's emotions, but I don't let it get in the way with work. I had a patient who lost his wife he has been married to for 50 years. I can at least hug the patient, and I told him to think about the good memories he has had with her.
Rachelle's Feedback
This is an emotional situation, indeed. It seems you are very empathetic while providing personalized care.
Anonymous Answer
Everyone has an emotional moment, especially in health care. I consider myself kind-hearted but driven to complete my task. I have the ability to put my emotions on the back burner so I can complete a job. An example, unfortunately, lidocaine was injected intrathecally. I realized immediately, put the patient in reverse Trendelenburg position, called anesthesia, and transferred care. Once care was transferred, I was upset, but was able to calm down and finish the work day.
Amanda's Feedback
Good job! Experiencing emotion is part of being human, but in a healthcare setting your ability to focus on the patient and task in front of you regardless of your feelings is vital. You can enhance this response by explaining who erroneously injected the patient with lidocaine. If it was your mistake, you will also want to explain what action steps you've taken to prevent that mistake from happening again.
Anonymous Answer
I always make sure I compartmentalize my emotions because I feel that is part of being professional. The patients are coming in to be helped and I can’t do my best if I am distracted by other issues. Of course, I am only human so I do make sure that I talk to people close to me to let some of the pressure be relieved and allow me to continue to be present at work.
Jaymie's Feedback
This is a well-balanced answer that demonstrates your ability to focus on patient care and not be distracted, but that you have outlets when you need to talk through things with someone.
Anonymous Answer
We tend to carry the emotional weight of our clients through their narrative or countertransference. We sometimes struggle with emotional things in our personal life. My emotions have never interfered with productivity because I find outlets to control them such as taking a break for deep breathing or meditation and consulting with my peers and supervisor.
Jaymie's Feedback
Working in healthcare means experiencing many situations that are emotionally taxing. It's great that you have outlets and ways to cope so that emotional stress does not interfere with your productivity.
Anonymous Answer
That’s a great question and when looking back on my time in the restaurant business I would say no. I am not denying that I am an emotional person. But in a professional environment, I always try to remain calm and collected. Regardless if someone is offensive, rude, or angry, I always try to be the bigger person. I understand that in healthcare the experiences can be similar because both deal in customer service, and knowing how I uphold myself in the restaurant business I think I can easily apply that same work ethic to Kaiser..
Jaymie's Feedback
You did an excellent job discussing your transferable skills and experience!
Anonymous Answer
I have had days where I go to work while dealing with stressful things outside of work, and on those days I look at work like it is my escape from that type of stress and I'm just there to do my job and take my mind off of those things that may inhibit my ability to work. Even if more things pile in the way I'm feeling at work, I don't let my emotions get the best of me and make sure I'm fully focused on the task at hand.
Jaymie's Feedback
Naturally, working in healthcare can be an emotional job since you deal with real people every day. The interviewer wants to know that you can still remain professional and get the job done, even during challenging emotional situations. It sounds like you can work through your emotions and keep your focus on the task at hand.
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