What tools or techniques do you use to remember difficult information or instructions given verbally only?
Situational interview questions are designed to assess candidate competencies in more depth and to avoid rote, standardized answers. The interviewer is looking to observe how you would triage a problem and figure out how to handle it in an optimal way. Situational questions allow the interviewer to showcase unique talents and competencies. Situational interview questions challenge the interviewee to think about situations that they may have never experienced before.
"While I prefer to listen to instructions and have written instructions as well, I have a formula for remembering things verbally. I believe this is a good skill to have as a nurse. First, I listen to understand, and I listen attentively. I give the individual my full attention, particularly if it's new information. After I listen to them, I ask questions for clarity, and then I repeat back what they want me to do. Sometimes, I use imagery or acronyms to remember things when I am getting complicated directions."
"When I am given instructions verbally only, I repeat the information back to the source to ensure I have all of the information correct. Once the physician or other person has confirmed that I have all of the information correct, I break the steps down into sections or 'chunks' in my head, and then I repeat them to myself 5-7 times to ensure they stick. If there's an opportunity, I will also write down the instructions later; however, if there's not an opportunity, my chunking and repeating method works for me."
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Anonymous Answer
Listen attentively and repeat back what I heard and ask for clarification if unsure what was said or the order to do things in was confusing. Repeat it to myself multiple times, acronyms,
Cindy's Feedback
Good! Add a bit of context at the beginning of your response. I've included an example below.
I use a number of techniques that help me remember important information. First, I listen attentively and repeat information back to the speaker to invite corrections in case I misheard. I also use repetition and acronyms. I recently used a technique during a [here, use an example of applying one of the techniques to remember complex information].
