Talk about a time you went above your normal duties to exceed a patient's or coworker's expectations. What prompted you to take action and what was the outcome?

"Having spent many years working in an ICU setting, we often have to experience the traumatic things that patients and families go through regularly when loved ones are at their most vulnerable. A couple of years ago, we had a patient in our unit that had been in a terrible car accident and was clinging to life for some time. The tragic part of her story was that the accident had occurred two weeks before her wedding to her high school sweetheart. Unsure of her prognosis going forward, the patient was able to communicate through writing that she wanted to fulfill her dream of marrying her husband. With the help and approval of hospital administration, our staff made the wedding happen in her room with immediate family and friends present. Following the event, the patient couldn't overcome the extent of her injuries and passed away, but we received many thanks from the family and husband for helping make her dream come true."

"Living in mountainous snow country, we are often faced with weather emergencies, and even in these times, I remain focused on patient care. If you remember the big December snow storm we had a few years ago, most major highways were shut down for stretches of up to 50 miles, which greatly impacted my hospital. Knowing that staff couldn't leave and I couldn't make it to work by vehicle, I borrowed our neighbor's snowmobile to get to work the first evening to relieve my fellow staff. This affected not only them but also the patients on our unit from preventing burnout of staff that couldn't leave."

Focus on providing an extraordinary example when you have gone above and beyond for a patient. Most healthcare professionals do amazing things for their patients daily, but the interviewer wants to hear of a truly remarkable situation.