Registered Nurse Mock Interview
Master 30 Registered Nurse interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient care priorities, and critical thinking.
Question 20 of 30
If hired for this position, what would you say is your ideal patient load that you are able to handle comfortably and effectively?
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Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
This is a question where you can open up about your past experiences and what you feel comfortable working with as a Registered Nurse. Each facility/unit/department has different patients with different acuity levels, so the exact number of patients can vary from department to department. This is a good time to emphasize how you keep yourself organized in your work and let the interviewer know what kind of workload you can manage.
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"During my career as a Registered Nurse, I have found out that the number of patients I'm comfortable handling is relative to the unit I'm working on. In a highly acute ICU, I've worked with as many as eight patients on a shift and felt this was overwhelming. On a Med/Surg unit, being responsible for eight patients on a unit is low. No matter the unit I work on, I have a great method in place for prioritizing the needs of my patients and making sure that all of my patients' needs are met promptly."
Over the years, the number of patients allowed per nurse has changed. When I first became a nurse, eight patients were the typical workload on our floor, but ten per nurse was not uncommon. Ten was a bit overwhelming at one time, but I made it work. I feel that patient acuity is more important than the number you have. I have always managed to prioritize my patient's care throughout my shift, no matter how many patients I have.
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