How do you prioritize your work when multiple patients and procedures demand your attention at once?
Working in any patient unit or clinic can overwhelm Registered Nurses. During these times, nurses are often the glue that holds everything together in the department to ensure that medical support runs smoothly. Your interviewer is asking this question to determine how you manage situations like this and how you will be able to manage these situations at this organization. To successfully answer this question, be able to talk about a particular situation where you had to prioritize multiple patients at once and describe how you handled the situation with a great outcome.
"As a nurse in the emergency department, there are times when the action is crazy with patients coming in. During these times, I always remember that the needs of the patient come first, so my triage skills come into use to prioritize which patients are the highest priority and which ones can wait. Communication is essential for patients. If they have to wait, I communicate that to them and check in with them when I can. It is equally important for our team of nurses and physicians to stay in communication. From there, I stay calm and handle patients with quality care one at a time."
I determine the most important task at hand. Is it pain medication for a patient? Is it the patient with high blood pressure? The patient that needs to use the restroom? Or the patient that just came out of surgery and has come to your floor? I would say the new post-op patient is the priority. Whichever patient I decide is the most important, the next step is delegation. A nursing assistant could take the patient to the bathroom. Maybe another nurse could give pain meds while I settle the new patient. Delegation and asking for assistance when needed are critical for a busy hospital floor.
