Pediatric Nurse Mock Interview

Master 29 Pediatric Nurse interview questions covering patient care, family communication, and clinical scenarios.

Question 13 of 29

Has there ever been a time when you received negative feedback, and how did you handle it?

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Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.

"I once received negative feedback when I was working the ER. One of my patient's mother was very upset that her child was not being treated as quickly as she thought and she complained to my supervisor that I was not doing my job. After talking with the supervisor, I asked if I could spend some extra time with the patient and his mother so that she could experience the good care that we give. Fear and uncertainty is often a reason that people lash out. Sometimes a gentle word is all that one needs to help relieve a stressful situation."

Darby Faubion

"I am sure that anyone who works in the healthcare industry for any amount of time will learn that receiving negative feedback is not always a truly 'negative' thing. People respond to situations differently. I recall I once received a negative rating on one of my evaluations. It was a disheartening experience because I really pride myself on doing good work. I scheduled a time to sit and talk with my supervisor and understand his point of view with regard to the negative rating and made a plan of action to improve on the issue."

Heather Douglass

Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.

Receiving negative feedback can be discouraging, but it doesn't have to be something that leaves you feeling incapable of doing your job. The important thing to remember when answering this question is don't talk negatively about the person who gave you the feedback. Rather state what was said and how you grew from the event.

Heather Douglass

Heather Douglass has over 20 years of experience as a Career Coach, Recruiter, and HR Specialist. Much of her experience is as a Technical Recruiter in the healthcare industry.

"I remember when I first began my nursing career, I thought I had to do everything for everyone. I ended up taking on too many tasks and falling behind with my assignments. One of my supervisors told me that a patient had complained because I seemed too rushed and asked for a new nurse to be assigned to her. I was so embarrassed because I didn't want anyone to feel like I couldn't do my job. I apologized to the supervisor and to my patient and explained that I had taken on some extra assignments, but that I didn't mean to make her feel neglected. When I apologized, the patient agreed to let me continue caring for her. I learned from that experience that it's ok to want to give more, but that I should not stretch myself too thin and risk compromising patient care."

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Anonymous Answer

I experienced this recently while doing my precepting experience. I was busy completing many orders on a patient that was septic. An ICU nurse came to start an IV on my patient and pulled me aside saying that the patient's room was a mess and that I should do a better job of making sure rooms are cleaned up. He said that if that patient had to be coded or a rapid response needed to be called the team wouldn't want to worry about moving stuff out of the way while trying to bring all their equipment in there to care for the patient. This was a time for me to reflect on the feedback and realize the importance of making sure patients' rooms are cleaned up and free of clutter. At the time I was so busy caring for the patient that I didn't even notice the messy room but now I make sure rooms are cleaned up when I start my shift.

Cindy's Feedback

Good answer. You're reflecting good judgment and good prioritizing skills as well as the ability to self-reflect.

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29Pediatric Nurse Interview Questions & Answers

1.Tell me about a time you had to deal with a distraught family member and how you handled it.

2.What characteristics do you think are important for healthcare professionals to have?

3.What made you choose to become a pediatric nurse?

4.Have you ever had a disagreement with a coworker? If so, how was it resolved?

5.What about your job as a pediatric nurse gives you the most satisfaction?

6.Nurses at our facility often work on rotation. Are you willing to work, nights,weekends, holidays, or overtime if needed?

7.Have you ever cared for children with autism, and can you share your knowledge of one of the disorders within the Autism spectrum?

8.Have you ever done wellness exams or given immunizations to pediatric patients?

9.Working in a pediatric unit requires a great deal of attention to detail and often multi-tasking. What do you do to help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed?

10.What about your work feeds your spirit?

11.What would you say is your greatest strength as a pediatric nurse?

12.What changes have you seen in terms of children's chronic health issues since you became a pediatric nurse?

13.Has there ever been a time when you received negative feedback, and how did you handle it?

14.What advice would you give to a nurse who is about to begin a career in pediatrics?

15.Why do you think nurses often report experiencing 'burn out' and what do you do to help try to prevent that?

16.Have you ever been in a situation in which a co-worker put a patient in jeopardy? If so, how did you handle it?

17. Have you had any special patient or experience that you could share with me that would tell me what it's like to be a pediatric nurse?

18.Why do you think you are a good pediatric nurse?

19.What is a challenge you face being a pediatric nurse?

20. If you could choose a specific schedule or shift, what would it be?

21.In addition to providing care to seriously ill children, pediatric nurses must attend to stressed out family members. How do you approach offering support to family members?

22.Has there ever been a time that you had a disagreement with a coworker? If so, how was it resolved?

23. What are some things you would like for people to notice about your personality?

24.If you were offered a position that requires travel, would you accept it?

25.If you were the person responsible for hiring new employees, what qualities would you look for in a candidate? Do you think you possess those qualities?