How would you manage a conflict you have with a supervising RN?
When working in a healthcare setting, many providers can be on the care team, so collaboration is important. The interviewer wants to better understand your interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution skills. Give an example of a time you disagreed or had a personal conflict with your supervising RN and how you resolved the disagreement. Refrain from speaking negatively about the supervising RN or the company you worked at when giving your answer.
"When I first became a nurse associate, I frequently had a conflict with my assigned supervising RN. She often told me I wasn't keeping up with the pace and I was spending too much time conversing with patients. I asked for a one-on-one meeting with her to discuss the feedback. I came with a list of times she'd provided the feedback, along with the day's events, so that I could show her where my time was spent and better understand her expectations. I kept my emotions out of the conversation and focused on facts and events. I came with an open mind and listened to her feedback and guidance on how much time it should take to complete an assessment or to gather vitals. She also reminded me that when I get behind, it puts a burden on other team members. I hadn't thought of it that way, as I'm very outgoing and I often find myself in conversations with patients or family members so I acknowledged that perhaps I needed to evaluate the time I was spending in each room. She asked me to focus on keeping conversations to the task at hand and trying to stick within desired target times when completing certain tasks with patients. I worked closely with her that next week as I made little modifications to my time management, and I would check in with her to receive feedback. I also asked for a follow-up one-on-one two weeks from then to touch base and make sure I wasn't making the necessary changes to meet her expectations. As a new nurse associate, I was still finding my way and learning to organize my time better and I appreciated her feedback and direction."
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