Behavioral Nursing Mock Interview
Practice 35 Behavioral Nursing interview questions covering de-escalation, crisis response, and therapeutic communication.
Question 25 of 35
How do you prioritize tasks when things on the unit get unexpectedly fast moving?
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Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
Nursing is always a dynamic environment and changes should be expected. For that reason, nurses should come to work prepared for the day, which includes arriving on time and being well-nourished and well-rested. Running in late, brewing coffee before report, and not being mentally prepared can put a nurse behind in their day before the day gets started. A nurse prioritizes their day before stepping on the unit. That being said, during report that same nurse triages patients and makes a mental grid of the tasks of the day. He or she prioritizes the most important tasks for each of their patients, and front loads the day to get the bulk of them done so that there is wiggle room later in the day for unexpected and new priority tasks. Great nurses collaborate with peers, delegate when possible and necessary, and ask for help, when needed.
Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
"I don't always know what kind of day I'll have exactly, but I can expect that I am going to be busy! For that reason, I prepare for my day the night before, so I am not rushed or hurried or forget anything. I even pack my lunch the night before. I always arrive on the unit about 15 minutes early, so that I have a chance to round with the nurse who's leaving and triage my day. During report, I highlight the most important thing for each patient's morning and afternoon, and that's the first thing I tend to. It could be blood work, testing, IV change, reports of increased pain, etc. I always do a quick check-in with each patient before I start my morning med pass and review their schedule with them. Being organized really helps me be efficient, which frees up time if I unexpectedly need it."
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