PICU Nurse Mock Interview
Master 39 PICU Nurse interview questions covering critical care scenarios, family communication, and pediatric emergencies.
Question 3 of 39
As a PICU nurse with our organization, how would you handle a situation where a colleague calls you to ask you to document some patient notes that they had forgotten during their shift?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Example Answer
How to Answer
Community Answers
Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
While it may sound like the right thing to do because you don't want anything to happen that could potentially jeopardize the patient, you should never do this because it is forging the medical record. It's very unethical and risks your nursing license. While there are many scenarios that your interviewer can propose to get at your desire to be ethical when it comes to patient records, this question gives your the opportunity to prove that you would do the right thing in this situation.
Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
"First, I would let my colleague know that I was not comfortable documenting any notes in the patient's electronic record. I would certainly thank them for calling and letting me know and I would assure them that I would notify the supervisor on duty right away. My first action after the call would be to make a quick, written note on the PC in the patient's room to ensure another nurse won't administer any further medication or treatments in the meantime. I would then take the issue to the supervisor for the next steps to be determined."
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
In this real-life "what if" scenario, the correct thing to do is to write down the information that should be formally documented in the EHR and attach a sticky note to the unit in the patient's room so that there is a visual reminder for all staff on duty. This information should be reported to the shift nurse manager for additional guidance on how to manage the situation. Under no circumstances should you sign off on any patient notes that you did not directly handle.
Interview Coach
Jaymie
A real coach, not AI. I read every answer myself and write back with personalized feedback.
Typically responds within 24 hours.
0 - Character Count
Unlock All 39 PICU Nurse Questions
Prepare for clinical scenarios and critical thinking questions that PICU interviewers prioritize.
Get StartedJump to Question