"In these situations, I know it will be important to put myself in the patient's shoes and realize that they may be experiencing pain, fear of the unknown, or any combination of emotions causing frustration and anger. While I haven't been in a direct patient situation like this as a graduating RN, I'm confident I would come to Mount Sinai Hospital with great skills to calm any potentially bad patient situation. I firmly believe that simply listening and empathizing with the patient calms down most situations, as long as I can take action to make things better for them. Of course, if a situation ever got out of hand, I would follow all procedures to ensure that security was called safely and efficiently."

"Early in my career as a nurse in a busy pain clinic, we had a very angry patient demanding more narcotics for her pain. He had walked into the clinic without an appointment to demand another prescription. As the only nurse in a small clinic that day, I sat the patients down to talk to them. I used a calm voice and listened to what they were asking for. After listening, I explained that I would need to check their records for their last prescription and speak with the attending physician in the clinic that day. After seeing that their last prescription was written many months ago and the patient had missed their last appointment, I talked to the physician to get another prescription written. Once prescribed, I explained to the patient how it was important for them to keep their regularly scheduled appointments, and he walked away happy."

First, acknowledge your awareness that this is a part of the job as a registered nurse and that you don't let situations like this phase you in any way. Before your interview with Mount Sinai Hospital, think of a situation from your past that shows your ability to diffuse a high-conflict situation. When dealing with someone angry, it is essential to demonstrate your listening skills, problem-solving skills, and ability to remain calm and collected and not escalate the situation.