Certified Nursing Assistant Mock Interview
Practice 35 CNA interview questions covering patient care scenarios, clinical skills, and compassionate communication.
Question 15 of 35
If one of your colleagues displayed poor bed-side manners, what would you do?
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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 the employee was a fellow CNA, I would approach them directly to talk about the situation and try to make it better. If the employee was my senior, I would talk to my supervisor about it. Last year, I had a patient in tears over how their physician talked to them and lectured them about the poor life choices that led them to be hospitalized. I didn't hesitate to bring this concern to my leader and was thanked for bringing this issue forward."
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.
While we all have bad days on the job, it is never acceptable to take things out on patients with poor bedside manners. With this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are willing to take a few minutes to pull your co-worker aside to make sure everything is okay with your colleague. Tell your interviewer that you will be proactive in this situation and take the time to reiterate how important a compassionate bedside manner is in the care that your team provides. If you have an example of a time where you directly handled a situation like this, don't hesitate to point out how you handled it successfully. In the end, ensure that your interviewer knows that you are a team player and will step in when someone isn't treating a patient nicely.
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.
"First and foremost, I would intervene if I was in the room when it happened and take over care immediately. No patient deserves to have a poor bedside manner brought to them. Following that patient interaction, I would pull my colleague aside and try to get to the root cause of the situation professionally and respectfully. I would reiterate to them that no matter what is happening to them on a personal level, whether it is at work on in their personal life, the needs of the patient come first, and providing the best care possible is what they deserve at all times."
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I will interfere immediately and I myself will attend to the needs of the patient making sure she is calm and taken care of then I will talk to my colleague and ask about the root cause of the problem. Reminding my colleague that no matter the situation it is unprofessional to display poor bedside manner to any difficult patients.
Amanda's Feedback
Your answer demonstrates that you are dedicated to the best possible patient experience. I also like that you confirm you'd go back to your colleague to try to understand the root cause and help him or her re-evaluate and adjust their behavior. This is important because a good bedside manner enables providers to communicate clearly and reduce errors. In addition, how healthcare providers interact with patients through their tone, body language, and actions has a significant effect on the patients' overall experience and understanding of their medical condition.
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