Master 31 Sutter Health interview questions covering patient care philosophy, healthcare delivery, and organizational values.
Question 13 of 31
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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.
Heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and other legal and illegal painkillers have become a nationwide epidemic, and this is also the case in northern California. The interviewer wants to hear about your experience working with addiction patients in the healthcare setting. Maybe you have personal experiences with friends or family that you are also comfortable sharing. Give your thoughts on the epidemic and the role that you can play in helping people that have addiction issues.

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"Working in primary care, I have thorough training in spotting drug addiction and effective methods in helping people with issues. Recently, we had a woman walk into our clinic with the classic track marks on her arms and a paranoid mindset. I approached her with a very casual yet direct approach to the marks on her arm, and she readily admitted that she was a heroin user. Knowing there were plenty of resources available to her, I suggested our addiction treatment program and another one sponsored by a private rehab facility in town. I asked if I could follow up with her, and she was okay with that. One week after we met, I followed up and found she was enrolled in a day treatment program and was glad to hear that."

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"Having seen firsthand the personal effects that alcohol and drug addiction can have on a family, I wanted to pursue a career in treating addiction. As a nurse on an inpatient detox unit, I work with patients during the worst stages of their treatment process, and I care for them as I had once for my father, who was battling the same issues. With so much influencing a person's life, all we can do as care providers is give them the best resources possible, fill them with confidence and offer any help we can moving forward. The cases of former patients returning to speak on our unit always give me a warm feeling that a job was well done."

Krista Wenz has been on thousands of interview panels hiring EMS professionals and firefighters for public and private agencies.
Since this is a two-part question, you want to focus on answering both parts. First, describe if you have witnessed the effects of the nationwide drug epidemic, and then talk about your views on treating addiction patients. As a healthcare professional, you want to avoid sounding biased toward a specific group of people.

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Written by Ryan Brunner
31 Questions & Answers • Sutter Health Corporation

By Ryan

By Ryan