Surgical First Assistant Mock Interview

Master 30 Surgical First Assistant interview questions covering sterile technique, intraoperative procedures, and clinical judgment.

Question 4 of 30

Do you feel like you have strong relationship building skills?

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Darby Faubion

Darby Faubion has been a Nurse and Allied Health Educator for over 20 years. She has clinical experience in several specialty areas, including pediatrics, medical-surgical, critical care, and hospice.

"I do feel like I have good relationship building skills. I like people and enjoy getting to know them."

Darby Faubion

"I believe I have strong relationship building skills. I value the opinions of others and try to show respect to them. I find that having a caring attitude and a willingness to learn about others helps build relationships. Working in surgery, I believe, it is really important to make an effort to build strong relationships with your team. Often, we work within the same team day in and day out. We learn one another's strengths and weaknesses, likes, and dislikes, and that is crucial when we are taking care of people who are in such a dependent position as those needing surgery."

Darby Faubion

Building strong relationships is essential for the success of any business. The healthcare industry is no exception, especially in concentrated areas like surgery, where most days you work with the same people. Share why you think you have good relationship building skills.

Darby Faubion

"I have often been complimented on my relationship building skills. I like to get to know people and ask them questions about themselves; I find it's a great and simple way to start building rapport with others. I consider myself to be a strong relationship builder and take pride in my 'people skills'."

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Anonymous Answer

Without a doubt. Not much is better than having a strong connection with your coworkers and the feeling of being a team. I enjoy getting to know people and sharing about myself, as well. I believe this helps to identify strengths and weaknesses of your team members, which is crucial .

Rachelle's Feedback

You show a great amount of confidence, and you bring up some excellent points regarding the importance of relationship building. Nice answer!

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30Surgical First Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

1.Why did you choose a career as a surgical first assistant?

2.If you were scheduled to assist with a surgery, but had reason to believe that the surgeon was impaired and may be unsafe to perform surgery, what would you do?

3.What do you dislike most about being a surgical first assistant?

4.Do you feel like you have strong relationship building skills?

5.If you were working a case where a patient had signed consent, but just before being sedated, he stated to you that he doesn't think he wants the surgery, what would your response be?

6.Give me an example of an interesting surgical case that you assisted with.

7.Working in a surgical setting is often very stressful. What are some ways that you prepare yourself for potentially stressful situations?

8.Has there ever been a time that you felt you should not participate in a specific surgery? If so, how did you handle the situation?

9.How would you handle a situation if a family member was angry because of a poor surgical outcome regarding their loved one?

10.Have you ever been yelled at by a surgeon, and if so, how did you or how would you handle that situation?

11.What is something about you that most people may not know?

12.What is an example of one of the most difficult cases you have ever worked?

13.What kind of coworkers do you find difficult to work with?

14.Many healthcare workers report experiencing 'burn out' at some point in their careers. What do you do to help prevent this in your life?

15.If you suspected a team member of having a hangover or being under the influence of other substances, what would your response be?

16.How do you approach dealing with an angry patient, and why?

17.What sets you apart from other surgical first assistants, and why are you the best candidate for this job?

18.What are some of the first things you'd like to accomplish if you are offered this position?

19.What are some aspects of your specialty that make it unique compared to other specialties?

20.Have you ever felt it necessary to go to someone who is higher in the chain of command than your immediate supervisor to resolve or report an issue?

21.What is one of your biggest weaknesses and what are you doing to improve in that area?

22.Have you ever considered going to back to school to get a higher degree or to change career paths?

23.Talk about a time that you had to deal with a significant change in your work procedures or in your workplace. How did you handle that change?

24.Tell me about a time that there was an unexpected emergency at work. How did you handle the situation?

25.Would you ever consider relocation? If so, what areas are you open to?

26.Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a coworker and how it was resolved.

27.What is your greatest fear about being a surgical first assistant?

28.What makes you feel you will be a good fit for our organization?

29.There are many different personalities among peers and coworkers. What would you like for people to notice about your personality?

30.Working in surgery requires a great deal of attention to detail and often multi-tasking. What do you do to help keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed?