How to Answer: Tell me about a time when you cared for a patient whose values or beliefs were different from your own. How did you handle the situation?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Nursing job interview.
46. Tell me about a time when you cared for a patient whose values or beliefs were different from your own. How did you handle the situation?
How to Answer
The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability to set aside their biases and provide care for patients whose values and beliefs are different from their own. By being employed in the healthcare field, nurses will encounter patients from all walks of life and from all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds as well as genders, religions, and other belief systems. In order to provide the best care to all their patients, nurses should always be aware of any conscious or unconscious biases they may have and set them aside while providing care. To successfully answer this question, the candidate should give a specific example of a time when they recognized a patient had values and beliefs different from their own and how they dealt with it.
Written by Elisabeth Walter
1st Entry Level Example
"I am very active in my church, and I consider myself a very devout Christian. At the hospital that I work at, I often care for patients who have much different religious belief than my own, as I work in a very culturally diverse area. While some people in my church family have asked me if it is 'weird' for me to care for these people, for me, it isn't weird at all. I enjoy taking care of all people, and feel like it is my calling, no matter who they are or what religion they practice. I strive to give the best care possible to all my patients, despite how different their beliefs, religious or otherwise, may be from mine."
Written by Elisabeth Walter
2nd Entry Level Example
"Spending most of my career working in a rural medical office, in a town that is very homogenous, I have not encountered many patients who are much different from myself. However, a patient came in not too long ago with his partner and because the alternative lifestyle that the couple lead is not very common in our community, and several of the nurses refused to assist with the patient. But, since I am not uncomfortable with this type of lifestyle, I stepped up and helped the patient and provided him with the same quality of care that I provide all my patients."
Written by Ryan Brunner
1st Experienced Example
"I have been a nurse for many years, and I am aware that I have to constantly stay aware of my biases, both conscious and unconscious, in order to ensure I am providing the best care and customer service to my patients. The most applicable example that comes to mind is when I was working in an outpatient OB/GYN clinic, and a transgender woman came in to see the doctor for hormone treatment. The name and information on the schedule did not indicate that the patient was transgender, so I was a bit caught off guard when I went to the waiting room to call the patient back, as she very much still looked like the opposite gender. However, I immediately checked my biases and ensured that I was treating this woman with the care and respect that I give all my patients."
Written by Ryan Brunner
2nd Experienced Example
"This may be an atypical answer, but I once was in a very complex situation where I had to put my values and commitments as a nurse ahead of my personal feelings. A few years ago, while working in the ICU at the local hospital, a patient was admitted who had committed a horrific crime and had been critically injured while trying to escape the police. The crime was all over the news, and I was well aware of what the patient was accused of; but, when I walked into his room and assessed his needs, I did not see an accused criminal, I saw a human in need of care, love, and compassion, and I did everything I could to provide the best care I could. It was my job to provide care to the patient and not to judge the patient for the crimes he was being accused of."
Written by Kelly Burlison on March 17th, 2019
3rd Experienced Example
"I am a very involved Christian in my church. Throughout my nursing career, I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of patients from very different backgrounds. Recently I had an Islamic patient during Ramadan. Although the patient and I had very different beliefs, I would never push my ideas and beliefs onto my patients. I did a little research on my own about Ramadan and then asked the patient a few questions as well. I explained to my patient that I would like to support them during this time as much as possible and that they were welcome to tell me if there was anything I could do that would help them be able to follow their typical Ramadan practices while they were hospitalized."
Written by Tabitha Cumpian on January 31st, 2023
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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 50 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