What do you do to help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed on the job when you have multiple patients or competing priorities?
The rapidly changing circumstances for patients in pediatric intensive care make the ability to prioritize and multitask as a PICU nurse essential. In asking this question, your interviewer seeks to be reassured that you would come to their team with the ability to be very detail-oriented in the care you provide to each patient while also having the ability to change pace at a moment's notice when needed. They'll also be looking to hear that you can do this with ease.
"Having worked for the last six years in a busy inpatient neuro/peds/trauma unit, I feel very confident in my skills in managing a highly acute patient load in your NICU. The skills I have developed include strong communication skills and organizational skills. In my current role, I can quickly be called to a patient's room that has an emergent situation. In these cases, communicating to my care team what is happening and what needs to be done with other patients is vital. Also, jotting a quick note down on things that I have to come back to helps keep me organized and stress-free at the end of the day."
Managing patient care requires the ability to multitask and ensure all details are checked and double-checked. As you answer this question, you'll want to discuss your understanding of the importance of maintaining detailed records, caregiver education, performing multiple assessments, and handling medications and procedures efficiently and accurately because success as a PICU nurse requires all of these skills.
