"I handle stressful situations by using my excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Recently, I had a patient in the emergency department who had a fractured femur. His mother arrived at the ED, pushed her way into the room, became hysterical, and started hitting the nurses that were treating him. She was very disruptive and combative. I was able to calm her down and escort her out of the room while talking in a soothing voice. She was afraid her son had more serious injuries and was going to die. I told her exactly what his injuries were, reassured her that he was not going to die, and told her if she would wait patiently in the waiting room, I would let her see her son after we had him stabilized. I also had a volunteer working in the emergency department sit with her until a friend or family member could arrive to be with her. I felt that taking a few short minutes helped diffuse the situation, and I was able to get back to work on my patient."
