You are nearing the end of your 12-hour shift in our PICU and you are exhausted from caring for eight, high-acuity patients. As your colleague arrives to relieve you, tell me how you proceed.

"In this situation, even though I am exhausted, I would first be sure to complete handover templates for all my patients, if I haven't already. This is especially important because you said the eight patients are high acuity, which means there is a lot the next nurse needs to know about them. I could never leave my patients without completing handovers because not only could I not leave my coworker in a bad situation, but I also don't want to put my peds patients at risk. Last week, I was in a similar situation, where I had been so busy that I didn't have time to complete handovers until my coworker arrived to relieve me. So, I stayed late and completed the templates for all my patients despite the fact that I was tired and ready to go home."

First and foremost, you want to reiterate to your interviewer that you will prioritize a proper shift handoff with all patient information because your PICU patients' health and safety depend on it. If you have an example of a time you successfully handed off at a shift's end to your colleagues when circumstances were difficult, talk about how you walked through that handoff. Now can also be a great time to confirm what process the unit you are interviewing with uses at shift change time.