Describe a time you provided care for a patient whose values or beliefs were different from yours. What did you do in that situation to ensure quality care was provided?
As a community health nurse in this role, chances are high that you'll be working closely with a very diverse population. It's important to demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to a community's culture. Knowing this, your interviewer needs to be assured that you will be able to work effectively with all members of the community you will be responsible for in a caring and professional manner.
"The greatest aspect of being a nurse is getting to provide care to patients from all walks of life and all different backgrounds. If I'm fortunate enough to be hired as your next community nurse, you'll quickly find that I will thrive in an environment where I will work closely with the elderly, school aged children, and everyone in between. In my current position, the clinic serves a high population of LGBTQ patients and they are great to work with. I have a particular patient that I've provided a lot of education to on some severe health issues and, as always, I treat them as if they were my own family member. This is a value I look forward to bringing each and every day in this role."
It's important to remember that in this role as a community nurse, you will be expected to work closely with people from all walks of life and all racial, ethnic, cultural backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and other belief systems. To successfully answer this question, you should give a specific example of a time when you recognized a patient's values and beliefs differed from yours and explain how you worked with them in a compassionate and attentive manner.
