Behavioral Nursing Mock Interview

Practice 35 Behavioral Nursing interview questions covering de-escalation, crisis response, and therapeutic communication.

Question 12 of 35

Tell me how you would handle a situation where you feel a patient is suicidal or a danger to themselves, but they deny these feelings.

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Kelly Burlison
Kelly Burlison

Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.

Suicide, unfortunately, is very common and, many times, signs that a person is suicidal are missed by family members, friends, and even healthcare professionals. Even if a nurse is not working in a behavioral health environment, they must always be cognizant of a patient's mental well-being and stay alert for signs of suicidal behavior. Even if a patient denies being suicidal or does not score high on a mental health screening, if a nurse feels strongly that a patient may be a risk to themselves, they must alert the patient's physician. To successfully answer this question, you should indicate that you would alert the patient's physician or the attending physician of your concerns, so a full mental health evaluation can be conducted. A more successful answer would include a specific example of how you successfully helped a suicidal patient get help.

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