Entry-Level Nursing Mock Interview
Practice 40 Entry-Level Nursing interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care priorities, and ethical challenges.
Question 12 of 40
How do you see yourself interacting with physicians who can sometimes be demanding and difficult to work with?
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Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.
Physicians have very stressful jobs and are under significant pressure daily. This sometimes causes them to be short with their support staff, and some develop the reputation of being difficult to work with. At times, situations between nurses and physicians can become very heated, and disagreements can arise. However, it is up to the nurse to facilitate a positive working environment with the physicians around them, despite any past conflicts. The interviewer asks this question to determine how the candidate will react to physicians known to be demanding and difficult, as it will determine how successful they will be in their nursing career. To effectively answer this question, indicate you would not take the physician's behavior personally and would continue to build positive, professional relationships with them, even if there have been uncomfortable situations with particular physicians in the past. Try to include an example from your career or clinical experience where you dealt with a difficult physician, superior, or colleague but maintained a positive, professional relationship with them.
Kelly Burlison is an experienced healthcare and quality measurement professional with experience interviewing in the healthcare field focusing on IT.
"Even though I was just a nursing assistant, I dealt with many difficult physicians while I worked at the nursing home in college. One physician, in particular, was extremely difficult and seemed to have a problem with anything and everything anyone did for a patient, including the nursing assistants. There were days when this doctor would come and yell at me for patients being in the incorrect position or not being changed, even though they had just been changed. It was frustrating, but I had to take it all in stride, reminding myself that the physician only had the patients' best interests in mind and that he had a lot of pressure on him and was probably dealing with it to the best of his ability. If I had the pressure of a physician on me, I don't know how I would react, so I try my best to keep it all in perspective."
"Sometimes it will feel intimidating to call physicians, especially after hours. I think the most important thing to do when interacting with doctors, whether in person or on the phone, is to be prepared and be clear about what I'm looking for from the interaction. When I was in one of my extended clinicals, my nurse preceptor had me practice calling one of our patient's doctors. We discussed ahead of time how I would identify myself, identify the patient, explain the situation, and ask for an order to increase the dose of the patient's beta blocker. I was nervous during that interaction, but it was professional and buoyed my confidence. I believe that if I can be calm and concise and remember that the communication is about my patient's needs, I will be able to work well with the physicians on my shift."
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