Tell me about a patient situation where you were unsure of how to proceed. How did you manage and resolve the situation?
"Being unsure of how to proceed isn't an uncommon situation for me; it's not because I am not a knowledgable anesthesiologist assistant, but its because I am typically assisting with very atypical and complex cases at the large academic medical center in which I am employed. A few weeks ago, I was in the OR assisting with a trauma patient, and when the patient began experiencing cardiac distress, I initiated proper protocol. However, after I had exhausted all my options, the patient continued to decline. Instead of making assumptions for how to proceed, I immediately called for the lead physician anesthesiologist who was working that day, and as soon as she assessed the situation, she was able to intervene and stabilize the patient."
While anesthesiologist assistants work under the authority of physician anesthesiologists, they are expected to monitor patients, administer medication and anesthesia, and intervene in emergency situations. It is important that the candidate be able to quickly think and make decisions while providing patient care, but there will always be times when the candidate is faced with situations where they are unsure of what actions to take. The interviewer is asking this question to determine
how the candidate responds in such situations. When unsure of how to proceed, an anesthesiologist assistant can either refer to a point-of-care reference product, such as an app that allows clinicians to search evidence-based guidelines, consult directly with their physician preceptor, or consult with another licensed clinician who is on staff. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should provide a specific example of a time when they had to either conduct research or consult with another clinician to determine how to best care for a patient.
"I just dealt with this type of situation a few weeks ago while I was assisting with an operation. I, unfortunately, was faced with a situation that could have potentially been life-threatening for the patient, had I not intervened; however, while I knew I needed to take action, I wasn't sure of the correct medication and dosing the patient needed. Instead of guessing or simply not taking action at all, I accessed a clinical pathways application that I have on my phone, and I was able to make a decision based on current clinical evidence and published guidelines."
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