Nursing can be a high-stress, unpredictable, and fast-paced environment. Tell me about your previous experience working in such an environment and how it has prepared you for a career in nursing.
Many entry-level nurses find it challenging to adjust to the unpredictability, stress, and fast pace under which they are working. The stress of nursing can take its toll, and each entry-level nurse must be prepared for the change of pace they will soon face. The interviewer asks this question to determine if the candidate has experience in such an environment. To effectively answer this question, describe previous environments or situations that have been challenging, stressful, and fast-paced and explain how those situations prepared you for nursing. You should choose examples rooted in work experience, but if you don't have previous work experience, another example will be acceptable.
"While I do not have much past work experience in high-stress environments, I can say that many of my clinical rotations have given me an idea of how unpredictable and fast-paced a career in nursing can be. When I was on my clinical rotation in an inpatient unit at the local hospital, I got to experience this because there were constant acute needs from patients, alarms going off, and requests coming in; at the same time, the nursing staff had to continue their daily clinical and administrative tasks. Fortunately, this experience did not scare me away from the profession; instead, I feel like it helped prepare me, and I look forward to working in such a challenging environment."
"One of my college jobs was working in a small restaurant near campus. Although the stakes at a restaurant are not as high as in the hospital, the environment was fast-paced at times. I had to juggle customer orders, keep tables clean, helping to cook orders, and do other tasks. This job helped me learn to prioritize tasks and learn to work efficiently. My work as a student nurse extern (SNE) has also taught me to manage the shifting priorities that can come with patient care. As an SNE, if I was in a room to help a patient with their bath, the nurse might have me take the patient's vital signs before starting their hygiene care. There were times that I had to alert my patient's nurse to the patient's high blood pressure, and I observed that getting that blood pressure under control took priority over bathing at that time."
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Anonymous Answer
Previously I had worked in a lab environment while having to carry out routine tasks like running quality control for the reagents for the tests. I also had to run blood gases for their results, prioritize samples from ED/ICU and pediatric. In placement, I have assisted my preceptor in a very stressful situation where she was the only chemo-trained nurse on the ward. I was checking a patient's vitals every half an hour while they were on chemo, answering requests, administering meds, and assisting another patient with a high risk of delirium. I felt motivated by that experience and I am prepared to work in a challenging environment.
Chad's Feedback
Good! It sounds like your experience working in a busy lab environment, combined with your clinical experience, has prepared you for a career in nursing. Including an assurance at the end of your response that the experience you cited has prepared you to work in a challenging environment is a nice touch!
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