Working in the operating theatre setting requires a great deal of attention to detail and the ability to multi-task. What do you do to help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed in your work?
Band 7 theatre nurses will always be balancing many responsibilities with their staff and with direct care of patients. This will include ensuring that the team of nurses on the unit is properly staffed in the OR, surgical prep, and recovery units, all while maintaining the regular clinical duties that they have for the particular day. With this question, your interviewer is ultimately trying to hear how you are able to successfully manage a large workload and do so while maintaining your mental sanity. The best way to answer a question like this is to talk about a time when your daily shifts were overwhelming and discuss how you worked through the day with ease. Make sure to highlight the way you communicate and use tools to keep yourself organized and on track in your work.
"I think my track record as a nurse for the last eight years speaks volumes to my ability to manage a large inpatient patient load, while more recently also juggling being a shift leader as a Band 6 nurse. I look back to the pandemic year when hospitals were overflowing with patients all over the UK. The unit I was on at that time was no different for over 8 months. Days were long and beds were full, but my mindset was to always focus on one patient at a time and provide the best care possible to them. If work became backed up, I made sure to huddle with any teammates I could to make a plan of attack with the patients. This experience helped me greatly as I look to join your team as your next Band 7 theatre nurse."
