Tell me about a time you had to deal with a distraught family member and how you handled it.
"One experience I had with a distraught family member was when I was caring for a young boy who had a broken leg. The accident happened when the child was at a friend's house and the mother wasn't there. By the time she got to the hospital, she was very upset and not sure what happened or what to expect. I was able to take her to the room where her child was so she could see he was ok. I notified the doctor that the mother had arrived and he counseled with her regarding her son's status. Those few minutes with her made a huge difference for her."
"I can actually think of several occasions that I had to handle a situation with a distraught family member. Dealing with pediatric patients, especially, requires patience and sometimes I think nurses feel like we are caring for more than one patient. Not because the family requires medical care, but emotional care. In all of those instances, I try to make sure I offer sympathy and take time to explain diagnosis, tests, and procedures in a way that the loved one can understand. Being able to understand what is going on with their child helps parents to deal with the situation."
Pediatric nursing requires not only dealing with a patient, but the family members who are responsible for the child. Being able to identify stressors that may affect a family member is important for a nurse in this specialty. The interviewer wants to know that you are capable of addressing the needs of the family member as well as the patient and that you understand why that skill is important for a pediatric nurse.
"One thing about pediatric nursing is, the patient is not always the only 'patient,' so to speak. I have learned that being a good pediatric nurse also means being able to communicate with family members who are unsure of what to expect or who don't quite understand a diagnosis takes a great deal of stress off of them. When parents or other family who are with a pediatric patient are calm, it often makes the patient calmer and easier to care for."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
One example of a time I had to deal with a distraught family member was when I was caring for a young child who was admitted for tonsillitis and mono but he was quickly declining and going into respiratory distress. The mother was very upset and scared as she didn't know what was happening to her son and why he now needed to be placed on high-flow oxygen. I reassured the mother that we are keeping a close eye on her son and that the doctor is aware of these changes and if the high flow oxygen doesn't work or her son continues to decline we will transfer him to another facility. I also told the mother that we will make sure to keep her updated on all of the results of tests we are performing. The mother calmed down and asked if she could step out of the room for a few minutes and if I and the primary nurse could sit in there with her child for a few minutes while she updates her family. By the next morning, the patient was started on steroids and antibiotics, and when I came back the next day the patient was weaned off of oxygen and tolerating oral fluids.
Cindy's Feedback
Great! The narrative works very well to demonstrate the past example of your work. You may want to explain how the story ended and how you were able to maintain her calm until the child was better.
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