Practice 30 Situational Residency interview questions covering clinical scenarios, patient prioritization, and decision-making under pressure.
Question 18 of 30
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Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
Residency can be challenging and stressful at times. People get cranky, equipment breaks, and families are needy. Whether working with faculty, fellow residents, or nursing support staff, your interviewers know that people can have off days and they are posing this question to you to ensure that you can handle these situations in a professional and respectful manner.

Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
"I fully realize that a busy clinic or hospital floor can put all staff in a great deal of stress, it comes with the territory. If I were working with a nurse or physician colleague that was uncooperative, my first move would be to have a one on one conversation with them to reset expectations. If patient care were involved in the lack of cooperation, I would kindly state my expertise on why cooperation was important in the situation. If there was resistance and the colleague still wouldn't cooperate, I would ask them to step away from the situation and I would seek other help if needed."

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
As you answer this question, ensure that your interviewers understand that your goal is to provide excellent patient outcomes and that these outcomes must take precedence over bad days and bad moods. They will be looking for a candidate who can weather the storm, hold their own, and get the job done for the patient, without adding stress or chaos to the situation. Talk about your ability to be professional and respectful in talking with the uncooperative colleague and, if possible, don't hesitate to talk about a time you successfully handled a situation with an uncooperative colleague.

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Written by Ryan Brunner
30 Questions & Answers • Situational Residency

By Ryan

By Ryan