How to Answer: Talk about a difficult patient you had to work with. What made the situation difficult and how did you handle it?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Ultrasound Technician job interview.
11. Talk about a difficult patient you had to work with. What made the situation difficult and how did you handle it?
What You Need to Know
Your interviewer is looking for your ability to assess a difficult situation with a patient and resolve it calmly, professionally, and empathetically. Talk about a time when you experienced a challenging patient and how you handled it with a successful result. Be sure to demonstrate that you kept a calm demeanor and kept the patient's needs in mind, even though they put you in a difficult situation. Responding in this manner will show the interviewer your conflict resolution, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Written by Krista Wenz on September 10th, 2023
Entry Level Example
"During my clinical experience time at a local hospital, I worked with a bariatric patient who was having an abdominal scan for suspected appendicitis. The standard scan was difficult to obtain, and the patient was in clear pain and irritable. With my preceptor present, I calmly explained to the patient that I was unable to get the image needed and that we needed to have the physician order a CT. While displeased, the patient was appreciative to be told what was happening, and the CT went well for the patient when she left our exam room."
Written by Krista Wenz on September 10th, 2023
Answer Example
"In my years of working as an ultrasound tech, the most difficult patient I experienced was visibly upset about the potential co-pay he would likely incur because of the service we were providing. He became angry with me and demanded to know why the costs of ultrasounds were so high. While remaining calm, I explained to him how the scan would help in a potential diagnosis and tried to reiterate that his health was of utmost importance. After he calmed down a bit, I explained that our hospital had a financial services office and he was more than welcome to speak with a representative there following his exam. He thanked me for letting him know that and was much calmer during the rest of the exam."
Written by Krista Wenz on September 10th, 2023
Experienced Example
"Looking back on my career, the most difficult patient I worked with also involved other family members. I was working with our mobile unit on our inpatient unit at a large hospital when a physician ordered an abdominal scan on a patient with stomach pains. When I arrived, the patient's son and daughter-in-law were in the room and were not happy that I was there to scan their loved one. They insisted the patient was experiencing stomach pains because he was "underfed" while hospitalized for the past three days. I explained to the family that the physician needed the scan to look for potentially serious issues that could be happening with the patient, above what could be hunger. While the family was still visibly upset, I proceeded with the ultrasound while explaining to both the patient and family what I was doing. It turned out the patient was experiencing gallstones, and he later thanked me after his family had left for handling things with ease around his difficult relatives."
Written by Krista Wenz on September 10th, 2023