Talk about the most difficult patient that you had to work with. What made them difficult and how did you handle the situation?

"Working with children for many years, the most difficult patient I had to work with really stemmed from his family life around him. The young man was having some serious trouble with fine motor skills and when we worked together alone, it was apparent that he was very receptive. After trying to involve his family, it became quite apparent that they were very disengaged in the life of their child and when a situation like this comes up, it breaks my heart. Knowing I would be his only shot to improve, my administrator allowed me to have extra sessions with him over time and I saw great improvement."

As an Occupational Therapist, there will be times that you have to work with a difficult patient. The difficulty can happen for many reasons and the interview is looking to see how you handle situations with difficult patients by remaining composed and making sound decisions. The interviewer is also looking to get an idea for what types of patients may be frustrating for you to work with.

"During my time working with patients in a skilled nursing facility, I was working with a particular gentleman that wasn't receptive to any of the treatments that I tried. In taking a step back to get the know the man a bit more, I knew he had a love for the outdoors. After a brief conversation with the nursing staff, I was able to take him outside where he was much more willing to my treatment."