How to Answer: Have you ever lost a patient en route to the hospital? What happened?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Paramedic job interview.
17. Have you ever lost a patient en route to the hospital? What happened?
How to Answer
If you have experienced losing a patient on the way to the hospital, explain the situation and what you did. Remember that the interviewer isn't necessarily looking to hear that you made a mistake. They want to see how you would handle this type of situation. For example, the issue could have been an older person suffering a heart attack. Some cases are so unpredictable you have a 50/50 chance of keeping the patient alive. Tell the interviewer you consistently work to make sure each patient has a chance.
Written by Krista Wenz on November 11th, 2022
Entry Level Example
"Yes, last week I had a patient with third-degree burns over 50% of her body after she got trapped in a house fire. She coded en route to the hospital, and nothing we did could bring her back. The emergency room physician said her lungs were so badly damaged from the smoke that there was nothing anyone could do to save her."
Written by Krista Wenz on November 11th, 2022
Answer Example
"Yes, I have. Not long ago, we lost an overdose patient on the way to the hospital. We did everything by the book, but they could not revive him when we reached the hospital. The patient did not respond to Narcan, and the hospital said he had taken a fatal dose of Fentanyl."
Written by Krista Wenz on November 11th, 2022