NHS Ward Clerk Mock Interview
Practice 30 NHS Ward Clerk interview questions covering patient records, clinical systems, and healthcare administration.
Question 8 of 30
Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult colleague or patient.
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Jaymie Payne is passionate about talent acquistion and has nine years of experience in corporate and healthcare recruitment.
Working in healthcare and within an organisation as large as the NHS, you will likely interact with numerous people daily, including colleagues, senior leaders, patients, their families, and public vendors. Possessing the skills to handle difficult situations and people in the workplace is essential. Think about a time you had a challenging coworker or patient and what made it difficult. Describe the situation and how you handled it, and include aspects of communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills. Avoid speaking negatively about a former colleague or patient when answering.
Jaymie Payne is passionate about talent acquistion and has nine years of experience in corporate and healthcare recruitment.
"At my previous job, one of my coworkers liked to play pranks on other team members and would often tell obnoxious or offensive jokes during the workday. These antics upset my colleagues, embarrassed them, or distracted them from the work they were trying to get done. It negatively impacted the mood and morale of the team, and it took a toll on the team's productivity. One day, I asked that coworker to have lunch with me, and she asked me if I knew what was going on with the team and why everyone seemed so upset. It was a great opportunity to share gentle feedback that the pranks and jokes were not welcome by many, and the team was often offended or annoyed. She genuinely seemed shocked and said it was just her personality to be playful and make the workplace fun. I gave her some specific examples of how a joke or prank embarrassed someone or made me uncomfortable, and she stopped and took in the feedback. I suggested a few more constructive ways to engage the team and told her she could always suggest a monthly social hour to do a team-building exercise. She was receptive to my suggestions and genuinely seemed to appreciate the conversation one-on-one instead of going to HR. The team and I saw a change in her behaviour as she stopped with the offensive jokes and pranks. I think it's important to confront a colleague professionally and kindly to give them a chance to realize their impact on others and an opportunity to correct their behaviour."
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