How to Answer: Tell me about a time you handled a difficult situation with a coworker. What steps did you take to resolve the issue? What was the outcome?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Entry-Level Nursing job interview.
3. Tell me about a time you handled a difficult situation with a coworker. What steps did you take to resolve the issue? What was the outcome?
How to Answer
Possessing the skills to handle difficult situations and people in the workplace is essential. Think about a time you had a difficult situation with a coworker and what made that situation challenging or uncomfortable. Avoid being overly negative about the colleague, but instead, focus on the situation and how you handled it. Think about the job description of a nurse and focus on highlighting qualities that will transfer well into the role (IE compassion, empathy, effective communication, interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, de-escalation strategies, etc.).
Written by Jaymie Payne on June 26th, 2023
1st Answer Example
"When I worked in retail, I had a colleague who was always late and sometimes never showed up for her shift at all. It was very frustrating. She was friends with the manager, so not much was ever done about her tardiness, which made me even more frustrated. One evening, we were assigned to work the cash registers together and the customer flow was very slow. I took that opportunity to mention that I noticed she was late a lot and asked her if there was anything going on in her life that was causing her hardship. She told me that she was a single mom and didn't have reliable childcare or transportation. While I empathized with her, I shared the impact that her being late or not showing up for her shift was causing the rest of the team, myself included. I wanted to be a part of the solution and help her, so I offered to help research daycares in the area as well as available public transportation. I know what she was going through was difficult and it was also difficult for our team when she wasn't at work, so I wanted to help find a solution that would benefit everyone. She was able to line up both daycare and transportation and it really benefited the entire time because she was able to be at work on time and reliable for her shifts."
Written by Jaymie Payne on June 26th, 2023
2nd Answer Example
"I once had a colleague who was very negative and constantly complained throughout the shift. It was really taking a toll on me, to the point where I didn't even want to work the same shift as this person. I felt like I had a good working relationship with this colleague, so I asked him to grab coffee one day. I asked him how things were going both at home and work, and he shared a lot of frustrations and problems he was having. I was gentle but honest with him about how he was perceived at work and the impact he was having on the team. I let him know that as a senior employee on the team, others looked up to him and often followed his lead and attitude. I wasn't sure how he would take it, but I felt like I had to have an open conversation with him and give him an opportunity to self-reflect and make changes before going to my manager. I feel like he appreciated me coming to him one-off and having the courage to have the tough conversation, and by talking about it openly and in a non-confrontation way, he was receptive. He committed to leaving his personal life at home and really made strides in improving his attitude in the workplace and it greatly impacted the morale of the rest of the team."
Written by Jaymie Payne on June 26th, 2023
About the Author
I began my healthcare career when I was a sophomore in high school and became an STNA (state-tested nursing assistant) at a local long-term care facility. I then went on to work as a nursing assistant at a local hospital and home healthcare agency. During that time, I pursued my Bachelor's in Business Administration: Human Resource Management and transitioned to working for one of the largest long-term care and post-acute rehab companies in the country. I supported the talent acquisition function and in the span of 8 years, I screened and interviewed over 1,500 nurse aides, LPNs, and RNs.
I hold a very special place in my heart for nurses, as it's often a thankless and tiresome job. Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse and I have great respect and admiration for those that choose this career path. As a content writer and interview coach for MockQuestions, my goal is to help you prepare and succeed in your upcoming interview. This article offers interview tips and advice along with 40 practice interview questions and answer examples to help you better understand what to expect and prepare for interview day! Wishing you the best of luck!
Learn more about Jaymie Payne