Behavioral Health Technician Mock Interview
Practice 28 Behavioral Health Technician interview questions covering crisis intervention, patient safety, and de-escalation techniques.
Question 9 of 28
Give me an example of when you had a particularly difficult patient, how did you go about handling him or her?
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Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.
"If I'm ever anticipating a difficult patient I'm always sure to leave the treatment door open, review session rules with my client and let another staff member know about the possible situation that may arise."
This question is asking you to demonstrate a challenging time when you were working.
Tell the interviewer what the incident was, why you thought it was challenging and how you overcame it. Be sure to tell the interviewer what you learned from the situation as well.
Here is a sample answer "I once had a patient who would show up intoxicated to our sessions even after going to AA. He would shout and scream at me and the doctors. This was particularly difficult for me because I was new to the clinic and had not experienced this situation before. However, I soon realized that this was nothing personal but rather the patient exhibiting defensive behaviors for his actions. I stayed calm and listen to what the patient had to say. I never spoke back but I did firmly tell him what the rules of the clinic were and kept reminding him that we are only here to help him. After a few times of him verbally attacking me, he came to realize that I wouldn't react to his outbursts and calmed down on his own. I learned from this particular experience that patients need me to get better and the only way they will get better if I can offer any guidance as calmly as possible."
"I once had a patient who would show up intoxicated to our sessions even after going to AA. He would shout and scream at me and the doctors. This was particularly difficult for me because I was new to the clinic and had not experienced this situation before. However, I soon realized that this was nothing personal but rather the patient exhibiting defensive behaviors for his actions. I stayed calm and listen to what the patient had to say. I never spoke back but I did firmly tell him what the rules of the clinic were and kept reminding him that we are only here to help him. After a few times of him verbally attacking me, he came to realize that I wouldn't react to his outbursts and calmed down on his own. I learned from this particular experience that patients need me to get better and the only way they will get better if I can offer any guidance as calmly as possible."
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Anonymous Answer
I once had an intoxicated client scream and yelled at the nurses and me. This was difficult for me because I was new at the time and never experienced anything like this before. I stayed calm, listened to what the client had to say, and reminded him that we are only here to help him. It soon became evident that this was nothing personal; this was merely a defense mechanism. I continued to remind him of the rules of the clinic firmly. After a few minutes of verbal attack, the client realized I was not reacting to his outbursts, and he calmed down on his own.
Rachelle's Feedback
It sounds as though you handled this situation seamlessly, even though you were new, and it was probably very intimidating. This answer really shows off your steady and confident character. Good work!
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