RN INTERVIEW

What nursing organizations do you belong to?

ANA ANA-NY

Talk about a time when you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?

A patient had asked me about the eligibility for Long term care and I was trying my best to explain to her. I used words like Medicare, Medicaid, HMO, Insurance and it must have sounded like a jargon to her. I saw that she was not familiar with these terms and quickly corrected myself and began to explain again with simpler terms as well as explaining what each term means. In the end, she understood and thanked me and I realized it is important me to evaluate who my audience is.

Tell me about a time you stepped into a leadership role.

In the agency, we had quarterly Quality Improvement Committee that included the patient, a representative from homecare and a healthcare professional. I stepped into leading this committee where we reviewed patient care, patient complaints and improved our care. For example, we heard complaints that home health aides were sometimes confused on their scope of practice, so I was able to incorporate that issue and include in my biannual inservice to the aides to better educate them.

Can you tell me how to do a head to toe assessment

Wash hands. Introduce myself to the patient. Ask the patient to identify his name and DOB. Explain to him what I am going to be doing. Begin with vital signs: Temperature, pulse, Blood Pressure, Respiration. pulse ox See if the person is alert and oriented Ask about orientation to person, place and time: What is your name, where you are, today's date Give 3 words: ask to repeat the words after a few min Ask about pain: PQRST what provkes the pain, how does pain feel, where does it radiate to, when did it start, get a scle of 0 to 10. General appearance: skin, normal posture, hygeien? Head: Shape and symmetry; condition of hair and scalp/ drooping? Eyes: Conjunctiva and sclera, pupils; reactivity to light ability to follow your finger or a light color or sclera: Jaundice? Ears: Hearing aids, pain? discharge? Speak in a whisper: can he hear you and comprehend? Turn away to make sure he isn't reading your lips. Nose: Drainage, congestion, difficulty breathing, sense of smell Throat and Mouth: Mucous membranes, any lesions, teeth or dentures, odor, swallowing, trachea, lymph nodes, tongue no lesions lips pink Ask to open mouth, move tongue Neck: lesion, gooiter, symmetric? make note of the status of the Skin any breaks in the skin, scars, lesions, wounds, redness, or irritation. Assess the turgor, color, temperature and moisture of the skin. 5. Thoracic region: Inspect to see chest is symmetric and no discoloration. any trouble breathing? Listen to lung sounds from the front and back. Assess them for character and quality as well as for the presence or absence of appropriate sounds. Palpate the chest wall and breasts for any tenderness or lumps. Auscultate heart: aortic, pulmonic, erb's point, tricuspid, apical Sternal corner 6. Abdomen: is stomach round? how iis bowel movement Listen to bowel sounds throughout the 4 quadrants. Start with RLQ and clockwise Palpate for tenderness or lumps. 5-30 sounds/min Palpate the bladder. Ask about intake and output of bowels and bladder. Ask about appetite. 7. Extremities: Arms and legs Assess for temperature, capillary fill and ROM. Palpate for pulses. any deformities swelling joing? Note any edema, lesions, lumps or pain. Turn back and look for any abnormalities 8. General Questions: Ask the patient how he feels. Has anything changed recently? Any pain, burning, SOB, chest pains, change in bowel or bladder habits/function, change in sleep habits, cough, discharge from any orifice, depression, sadness, or change in appetite? Repeat back 3 words 9. Wash your hands. Document your findings. Report any significant changes or findings to the PCP (primary care practitioner).

Tell me how you would assess a patient with chest pain

prioritize ABC make sure patient is breathing and concious. If not, call for help help patient sit upright to ease breathing check vitals including pulse oximetry call for help assess pain 0-10 ask about pain, when it started. tell doctor inspect chest for trauma, palpate for any thrills, heaves and auscultat follow hospital protocol: get stat EKG, nitroglycerin, doctor lab

What is one word to describe yourself

reliable. I can be relied upon to do my job, do it well, and deliver whatever the best care to the patients.

Tell me what you know about our institution

Lenox Hill is part of the Northwell Health with 250 beds that serves all 5 boros in NYC. It has recently been recognized as America's Top 100 hospitals for a third year in a row. It is also known for its innovative medical and surgical treatment especialy neurosurgery, head and neck surgery and many others. Lenox hill treats ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population and has made one of its mission community outreach and education. And people around me say it is a great hospital to work and it treats its employees well

Describe a time when you looked up to a nurse and why?

Most of nurses I encountered was amazing. One particular nurse that comes to my mind is a preceptor I was with at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She was an advocate for her patients and their safety and she taught me to always ask questions. She taught me to take initiative and be confident in my nursing skills.

What have you identified as your strongest clinical skill?

Ability to listen. My greatest skill as a nurse is listening. My patients consistently comment that I am a good listener and thank me for taking the time to hear them out. I am open minded and a great listener. I pay careful attention to what patients are telling me, because usually it entails something about their pain, symptoms and psychosocial aspect. Being a good listener, I am able to form a great relationship with patients and colleagues. I get to know them well and they know I am open to talk to.

What career regrets do you have?

I dont have have regrets during my nursing career. If I could change one thing, I would have moved into nursing sooner because nursing is my second career. Then maybe I would be sitting here a few years earlier.

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING ABOUT BEING A NURSE?

I find helping patients staying healthy most rewarding. Since I work with elderly, they are faced with everyday problems due to their health conditions and age. I was able to help them navigate through difficulties and make recommendations to make daily living easy. Seeing them comfortable and well in their own homes without going into nursing homes or hospitals were the most rewarding part of my job.

Why did you choose the particular field of nursing that you are in?

I had a wonderful experience during my community nursing clinical during nursing school. The public health nurse I worked with was wonderful, caring I wanted to learn more about community nursing so before I got my nursing license, I got a job at a home care agency as an office staff and after I got my nursing license, I was hired as a nurse in that same home care agency. I liked community nursing because I get to observe and assess patients in their own homes

How do you deal with conflict?

I will listen to what the other person has to say. I will take the person to aside and talk privately. I will listen and understand what the other person's perspective is and I will work with the person to fin a resolution

How do you handle the stress of the job?

maintain a calm attitude in times of stress. take a deep breath and evaluate the situation. This allows me to work and accurately prioritize tasks. maintain a positive attitude, which helps to improve my coworkers', patients', and my own day. And at the end of the day, I can go home and destress

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR PATIENTS?

I can give them the best care I can. They will know they are not alone and they are being looked after and advocated when time comes.

Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem

Discharge patient

How would you define a leader?

A leader inspires others to come together to acheve a common goal. A nurse leader motivates other members of the healthcare team such as other nurses, doctors, nursing assistanst toward a common goal, a quality and safe patient care.

What is one professional accomplishment that you are most proud of and why?

Becoming registered nurse was a big accomplishment. Since nursing is my second career, I had to work hard to get a second bachelor's degree in nursing and I am proud that I was able to stay in the competitive accelerated program and become a nurse

tell me a time when you made a difficult decision

Deciding to discharge a patient by my agency was the most difficult decision I made. A patient with Alzheimer's Disease was recieving homecare services from our agency. Home health aides kept on quitting because he was aggressive and verbally abusive. I felt that there must have been a change in mental status for this patient so I decided to conduct a nurse visit. Upon arrival, I found that his condition deteriorated from my last visit and he had bursts of temper and anger. I agreed that it would be unsafe for home health aides to continue servicing so I made the recommendation to discharge the patient. I talked to the insurance, our staff and the patient's family and agreed to discharge the patient from home health aide program but enroll him into a family program that would allow his adult children to be paid to care him.

What skill challenges you the most?

Delegating. I never worked with nursing assistants and at first, I would have trouble delegating tasks to them, probably because I would want to do them by my self.

Am I a leader or a follower?

Depending on the situation, I can be both.

Describe a time when you received negative feedback and turned it into something positive.

During my labor and delivery clinical at Metropolitan hospital, I was watching a labor from the behind because everyone was busy and the patient was about to give birth. My clinical instructor came and said I should be more involved in the care and should actively ask the nurse for any help. So I approached the labor and delivery nurse, and asked her if there was anything I can help her. She tasked me with helping cleaning the mother as she was sweaty. I was glad that I asked and was given a task and learned that it is important to take initiative and ask.

Talk about a time a patient or their family were particularly pleased and appreciative of your care.

During one home visit, I met a patient who was weak and fragile and needed help with ambulation. The patient was always alone at home when other members of the family went to work. Upon assessment, I made several recommendation, like installin grab bars at the bathroom, using a cane, and attending social day care to cope with loneliness. The patient and the family were not aware of how they can access all these services but I was able to coordinate with getting the prescriptions, contacting daycares. And a few days later, i received a phone call from the family member that their mom is more happy and energetic

Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?

Every month, as we get new enrollments, I have to make nurse visits to new patients by a deadline. One time, it just happened that I needed to make 3 visits on a single day. It was a lot of stress because there is travel time and I like to be thorough with my assessments and not rush things. First, I prioritized the visits on the information I had on the patients and decided which patient I would visit first. And organized myself before leaving so I dont have to fumble thru paperwork. I managed my time well so that I wouldnt be staying at one patient's house for a long time. I felt it was a time when I was able to utilize my organization and prioritization skills.

What qualities do I have that would help me succeed in a stressful and busy environment?

I can remain calm and focused in busy environment. Time management is key so I would prioritize the tasks that need to be completed and get them done.

What do you find most difficult about being a nurse?

Helplessnes. When I did home visits, I saw patients who were home bound, wheelchair bound and fully dependent on other to do any activity. It was difficult seeing them suffer but couldn't offer anything.

WHY ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR CURRENT NURSING POSITION?

I am leaving because it's essential that I broaden my nursing experience and set new goals for myself. So I am transitioning to a hospital setting. I hope to learn new clinical skills, see how hospital operate and really improve myself as a nurse.

Describe a time when you were particularly proud of your healthcare team? What was your role in this situation?

I am most proud of my team when we help patient who are in need. In order for us to provide services, we need the patient to enroll by 20th of the month. One time, a patient came looking for home care services. When I met him, I could tell by quick assessment that he really needed the care. He didnt have family support and had severe Parkinsons. It was almost the 20th and we had to speed up the process for enrollment. The care manger and I were able to facilitate the meeting with insurance company, and coordinate the nursing visit and get him enrollment for the upcoming month. I was really proud because the patient was really in need of help and my care manger, the insurance company and I were able to coordinate to help him.

WHAT IS YOUR WORST TRAIT?

I am often too critical of myself and I dont like making mistakes. and, it sometimes goes to an extreme. I find that I sometimes waste time making sure that every detail is perfect, especially when I have other things to get done. Now that I am aware of this, I am learning to trust myself more and accept the fact that perfection doesn't exist.

What are your weaknesses?/What is your area of greatest opportunity? Growth? Worst trait

I am often too critical of myself and, it sometimes goes to an extreme. I find that I sometimes waste time making sure that every detail is perfect, especially when I have other things to get done. Now that I am aware of this, I am learning to trust myself more and accept the fact that perfection doesn't exist.

Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems with a patient and initiated preventative measures.

I had clinical rotation at Memorial Sloan Kettering Ambulatory Center at cervical cancer unit. A patient that the preceptor and I were taking care was getting ready to leave after receiving chemotherapy. My preceptor went to another patient and I was helping the patient off the bed. She wasnt the sickest patient but her condition dramatically changed when I noticed that her neck was getting red and the hive was spreading to her face. It was an emergency and she had just become my sickest patient. I immediately told her to lie down and elevated the head of the bed to high Fowler's I called for help and my preceptor and other nurses came running. IThe patient wa having an unanticipated allergic reaction. The nursing diagnosis were risk of injury and risk of ineffective respiratory function related allergic reaction and hypersensitivity from chemotherapy. The patient was observed and interventions were vital signs, were taken, Benadryl given and doctor informed. After the situation deescalated, my preceptor and I were able to provide teaching about signs or allergic reaction and what to do when a reaction occurs. But I was relieved to have noticed it before we sent her home.

Talk about a time when you felt overwhelmed with your work or patient-load. What did you do?

I like to prioritize when I feel overwhelmed. I like to make a to do list according to order of importance. It keeps me organized and calm being able to visually see what needs to be done in which order. In homecaer, deadlines are tight and

DO YOU PREFER TO WORK ALONE OR AS PART OF A NURSING TEAM?

I like working with a good team because I believe that best care in a hospital is a team effort and we can depend on each other for support. But working alone is sometimes required and I have enjoyed the responsibility.

What are you most proud of in your career

I met an elderly couple in the community and they are ready to enroll into Managed Long Term care. The process was completed and they were waiting for the next month to enroll. Then the wife suddenly passed away. I was worried about the husband so I was able to set up a family program called CDPAP to have the daughter care for the husband and referred him to social day care so that he wouldn;t be depressed or lonely. At first he struggled and was sad but as time passed, he had his family and friends at the daycare and was able to return to normal activity.

Give us an example of a situation where you had to deal with a difficult and demanding patient and what you did.

I remember one difficult patient who was constantly complaining to us on the phone and would keep requesting for different aides. When it was time for nurse visit, I reviewed his case and found out he was living alone in a senior apartment and all his family were out of state. During the visit, I assessed his living situation and could tell that he was lonely, possibly depressed. I made sure he was heard and had good conversation addressing his problems. Then I referred him to social day care where he can meet new people and socialize. Afterwards, he was happier.

Why did you decide to become a nurse?/Why did you pursue a nursing career?

I saw what nurses do when I volunteered at hospitals and when it came the time when I had to do a career change, I decided to become a nurse. nursing coincides with my personality and I can put my best characteristics to use. I'm very compassionate and dedicated and want to serve the public. Also because nurses are challenged and learn something new everyday, it satisfies my desire to learn and grow.

How well do you deal with constructive criticism?

I take constructive critism well. I know the benefit of critism and the person who is critiquing me isnt doing so because they hate me and it will make me a better nurse. It will improve my skills and relationships So I take every criticism thoughtfully.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN HEALTHCARE IN FIVE YEARS?

I think that the nursing experience that I will have gained will made me an excellent clinical nurse. I want to be able to share my knowledge by helping other nurses or precepting new nurses. And with that experience I want to continue education and become an adult nurse practitioner.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS ON THE UNIT?

I try to focus on the patient care and smile and I believe that with my experience and training, I can remain calm and concentrated in any stressful event.

Describe a time you provided effective patient or family education.

I visited a patient for initial assessment. She was complaining of dizziness and the need to sit down when she moves suddenly. I questioned her whether her blood pressure medication has recently changed bc I suspected her meds were causing hypotension. She stated that the doctor increased the dose because whenever she visit the doctor office, her blood pressure is high but when she measures it at home, it is in normal range. I informed her that moving alot or nervousness can cause blood pressure to increase and told her to take blood pressure at same time everyday before going to the doctor's office. So that the doctor can see the average blood pressure and not just the blood pressure measured at the office. I followed up in couple weeks via phone and found out the doctor lowered the bmedication dosage and the patient is experiencing less dizziness.

Give me an example of an awkward situation at work. How did you remove yourself from the situation?

I visited a patient in Upper East side. It was a regular nurse visit but when I arrived there, he was irritated and angry. He was saying that he wants to change agency, that our agency is really bad and other agencies are better. I remained calm and explained the process of disenrollment and transfer of agency. After a couple weeks, we received a call from the same member that he wants to transfer back to our agency. It happened that other agencies didn't have any aide to go all the way to upper east side. I went to another nurse visit, and it was awkward. But I kept calm and neutral and he was very polite to me.

Give an example of a time when you were able to successfully persuade a patient to agree to something. How did your persuade this person?

I visited a patient who was always alone when other family members went to work. He expressed loneliness and was taking antidepressants. I informed him about social daycare but he wasnt interested but I knew it was something he really needed, a place to meet people and socialize. I was able to contact the social day care near his home and arrange for a visit. After hearing about the benefits of social day care and meeting new people, he agreed to do a visit. After the visit, he really liked it and wanted to attend.

tell me how you work in diversity in patients

I work well with diversity, I mean living in NYC, you get exposed to all kinds of diversity. As I did home visits, I mostly took care of Korean geriatric population but also had some Hispanic, Creole and Chinese population but they were all socioneconomically diverse. Of course, I treat all my patients equally ad with respect but you have to be especially sensitive to their culture. I would always ask before doing something if it seems to be a sensitive issue. For example, taking off shoes when entering someone's house. I always ask the patient or family member whether I should take shoes off.

Tell me a little about your work history.

I worked as a registered nurse in a home care agency. I conducted initial and regular nursing assessments on home care patients and created plan of care. I gave monthly calls to assess patients to make sure they are safe. I did patient and family teachings on safety, medications, pain management and gave continuous support. For discharged patients, I created discharge plans and provided recommendations. In addition, I advocated for patients when they were interviewed to determine home care eligibility. Also, I supervised more than 50 home health aides and provided biannual inservice training on topics such as Fall prevention, diabetes, Body mechanics.

HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A PATIENT WHO COMPLAINS?

I would actively listen and hear their complaints and let them know that everything is done to make them comfortable. If it is pain issues, I would discuss with the doctor to see what else can be done alleviate their pain.

What approach do you take in communicating with people who do not know medical jargon? Give an example of a time you explained medical terminology to someone who is not medically trained.

I would avoid using medical terms that people won''t understand. Such as hypertension would be high blood pressure; hyperlipidemia mean high cholesterol in blood. When I did inservice to home health aides, many of them wouldnt understand the medical jargon. I would use common terms instead of medical terms. I would use lots of pictures. For example, I explained gangrene from diabetes to the class and the picture explained it all. I also had them take a quiz in the end and go over the quiz afterwards.

What would you do if a Patient ask for something that you were not allow to do, how would you handle this situation?

I would explain to the patient why I am not allowed to do it such as hospital protocol, ethics. I would try to explain so that the patient will understand and we can find middle grounds to something I can do.

How would you handle a patient who complains constantly of pain?

I would listen sympathetically to their complaint, Do pain assessment see if there are anthing to be done to manage pain Help in any way can inform doctor reassure them that their concerns were being heard and that we were doing everything possible to help them

How would you deescalate the problem

I would try to calm down the person. I would hear out what the other person is saying. Even though I dont agree, I can appreciate their perspective. Ask questions to clarify. Then respond carefully with respect

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR REPLACEMENT DIDN'T ARRIVE?

I wouldn't leave my patients without replacement. I'd wait for a decent amount of time and then talk to my supervisor and offer to stay until they turned up or someone else was found to fill in for her.

HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH A DOCTOR WHO WAS RUDE?

If I were to have a doctor that treats me badly, I would bring the question to my supervisor right away. If the doctor was displeased with me in some way, I would want to find out so that I could take action to rectify the situation.

Describe a situation when you had to work closely with a difficult coworker. How did you handle the situation? Were you able to build a relationship with this person?

In home care, the teamwork between the care manager and the nurse is vital in making the enrollment process smooth. I will need the information about the patient before the enrollment date in order to schedule for home visit. In the beginning, the care manager I worked with wasn't effecient in relaying that information to me in right time. He was being difficult understanding why I needed that information beforehand. I handled it by having a meeting with him, explaining my needs and role as rn and creating step by step process together for smooth enrollment transition. From then, we became good coworkers and would hold regular meetings to ensure everything is going well on both ends.

What kinds of personality traits are most effective for nurses to have?

In my opinion, the personality traits that make nurses most effective are patience, compassion, and attention to detail. Dealing with sick patients is not easy so we need patience and compassion as we guide patients and family through their bad time. And we need to pay attention to every detail because we are the last check in patient care. We are directly involved in patient care and health.

Tell me about a time when you didn't know the answer to something at work? How did you go about finding the information?

Insurance companies use UAS (uniform assessment system) to assess and determine the eligibility for patients. On the UAS site, there is a series of module and learning material that educates the user on the system. I went through the learning module but felt like I couldn't fully comprehend the system. I told my supervisor that I need more time and resource to familiarize with UAS. He was able to set up a session with expert UAS nurses to teach.

What are some ways you can help improve patient experience?

Keep calm and smile inform patients what is happening and what they can expect Address patinet concerns as sson as possigle and effectively

What are your career goals?

My career goal is to learn all necessary nursing skills and extend my nursing knowledge in acute setting. I want to be able to share my knowledge by helping other nurses or precepting new nurses. I want to be an expert nurse. and get additional certifications Also I am interested in becoming a Nurse Practioner with advanced skills.

tell ma a time when you had good customer service or you went beyond for a patient

My first clinical was at Terrance Cardinal Cooke Heathcare Center. The residents were same patients, but we were assigned to different patients every week. I was assigned to a lady who was bedridden. After doing a full head to toe assessment, giving basic care and handing out medication, it was evident that she was lonely since all she could do was lie down in hospital bed. I talked to her and listened. She told me about her family, her sister and niece and nephew and the birthday party they threw her last year. She even had me grab the photo album and went through them, explaining the family members and the pictures. She felt better and enjoyed sharing her stories to someone who would listen. After that week, even though I wasn't assigned to her, I would stop by her room to say hello.

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU?

My friends would probably say that I'm pleasant but persistent. Because I know that if I try hard I can achieve anything, I usually dont give up.

Tell me what you feel your greatest skill as a nurse is

My greatest skill as a nurse is listening. I am open minded and a great listener. I pay careful attention to what patients are telling me, because usually it entails something about their pain, symptoms and psychosocial aspect. Being a good listener, I am able to form a great relationship with patients and colleagues. I get to know them well and they know I am open to talk to.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PREVIOUS BOSS?

My last boss taught me responsibility and independence. He enabled me to work independently and take upon projects from start to the end.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF.

My name is Min Kim. I graduated with BSN from Hunter College on 2017. I also have a Bachelors in Biology from Stonybrook University. I decided to get into nursing because Ii like to help and take care of others. I volunteered at hospitals since high school and those expereicnes gave me the insight I needed to pursue nursing as a second career. Before nursing, I worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier so I knoe a lot about customer service and can contribute to patient satisfaction. I am really interested in community outreach and volunteer work. Last Saturday, I was at a healthfair volunteering to do glucometer and diabetes screening in Bayside and I have been volunteering with them for three years in a row. I am looking for an oppourtunity for growth. And since I was raised and lived in Queens for more than 20 years, I believe NYPQ is an excellent hospital for me to transition into acute care because NYPQ has serviced the diverse population in Queens for many years.

What is your philosophy of nursing?

My philosophy is to keep calm and smile. Nurses have long hours, high pressure situations, and physcailly demanding work. It may be difficult for nurses to keep their calm and smile but I believe it is important to do so because smiling spreads. Coming into work smiling, showing your patients and colleagues your smile and leaving work with a smile are just as important as providing quality care and also aid in developing great interpersonal relationship.

If I called your previous supervisor, what would they tell me about you?

My previous sueprvisot would say that I am very reliable and easy to work with. And I make sure I get work done in the set deadline. He will also say I am attentive. I personally know and remember 95% of our patients and home health aides. He is always amazed when I can recall the patient's information on top of my head.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY DIFFERENCES WITH NURSES YOU HAVE WORKED WITH?

No but I had differences with my coworker at home care. I needed information about the patient before certain date in order to schedule for home visit. In the beginning, the care manager I worked with wasn't effecient in relaying that information to me in right time. He was having difficulty understanding why I needed that information beforehand. I handled it by having a meeting with him, explaining my needs and role as rn and creating step by step process together for smooth enrollment transition. From then, we became good coworkers and would hold regular meetings to ensure everything is going well on both ends.

WOULD YOU BECOME A DOCTOR?

No, I love nursing. I love having personal touch with patients and nursing teamwork with coworkers. I want to advance my career in nursing, not a doctor.Y

tell me a time when you had to handle an escalating situation

Ond time, a patient came into our office and demanded that we give him more homecare service hours. Unfortunately, the service hours cannot be increased by us, it has to be done through the insurance agency. I explained to him this in details. At first, he was upset and didn't want to speak to his care manager but I listened to his issue fully and suggested that I can help to connect to his care manager but this issue must be resolved by the care manager. He agreed, I was able to get the care manager on the phone and he was able to address his concern and schedule a nurse visit to reassess his condition.

Name the top 3 problems healthcare is facing today

Short staffed nursing Unsafe workplace: patient to nurse ratio

Give an example of an important goal you set for yourself. Did you accomplish that goal? How did you ensure that you accomplished it?

Since I pursued a second career in nursing, it was extrememtly importatnt that I become a professional registered nurse. I worked very hard through accelerated second degree program. And when I graduated, I gained experience to be a professional nurse in the community and home care. I became comfortable with nursing visits, providing education and inservice. And now I want to switch gears and become a professional nurse in hospital setting.

what plan of care

Professional assessment of patients neds such as diagnosis, prognosis, need for palliative care, mental status, frequency of service, medications, treatments, functional limitations. Also assess safety of living environment

What do you find is the hardest part about being a nurse?

The hardest part of being a nurse is feeling helplessness. Nurses are so close to the patient and see their pain firsthand. Although we try our best to make the patient comfortable, there is so much that we can do and it is heartbreaking to see the patients in pain

How do you define success

Success is not just about my performance but the performance of my team. Patient care is comprised of different healthcare professional working together. Every member of the team has to do their best to provide quality care. Also success is also providing outstanding care and making a difference in someone's life.

what do you do if you're with one patient and another patient has a critical emergency?

That would depend on what I was doing with this patient. If it is not an urgent issue, like taking vital signs then I would ask the nursing aide to watch the patient and rush to the critical patient.

What are the biggest challenges or issues that nurses face today?

The biggest challenges are safe staffing ratio and workplace safety. Some places have nursing shortage that can lead to short staffing and dangerous practices, making workplace unsafe. This increases the stress on nurses, decreases quality of patient care, and increases the likelihood of medical errors.

Talk about a conflict within your healthcare team. What was the conflict and how did you handle it?

The conflict was between the care manager and I. I needed to have pertinent patient information by a set time but the care manager was not efficient in providing it. So I called a meeting with him. We found out that we didnt know how our work overlapped and he didn't know why i needed the patient information. We were able to sort it out and create a step by step process for smooth patient enrollment.

HOW HAS YOUR NURSING TRAINING PREPARED YOU?

The time I spend in Hunter College trained me with nursing skills and nursing knowledge. And working at a homecare agency trained me to effectively communicate with patients.

Are you applying for other jobs

There are several organizations that I've applied, however, I've not yet decided the best fit for my next career move.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT YOUR LAST JOB?

There was nothing about my last job that I hated but since I was in home care setting, I was independent but didnt get much chance to work with other nurses. I learned independence and responsibility but would have loved to work with other nurses and learn from that experience

Tell me about a time when a patient's family was dissatisfied with your care. How did you handle that situation?

We have a patient with worsening dementia. She had long homecare hours so we didn not want to overwork the home health aide so we agreed to send two different aides. After a few days, we recieved a call from the patient's daughter complaining about the new aide that it was making the patients condition worsen. So I went out to visit. It turned out that the patient was reacting negatively to the new aide bc she was a stranger. Upon discussing with our case manager and the first home health aide, we were able to have the first aide cover fulltime for the services.

Is there a question we did not ask, what is it and how would you answer

What is your strength

Do you have any questions for us?

What kind of training do you provide? how is orientation formulated? What kind of continuing education does your hospital offer? When does your shift starts? Is it typical 7 to 7? What are your staffing ratio? Do you supply scrubs? I read your Indeed profile and saw you worked here for more than 26 years. Also saw you were awarded as Nurse Leader of 2017. What is your favorite thing about working here? What concerns or reservations do you have about me for this position? I want to thank you all for this opportunity and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with me and consider me for your position.

WHAT REALLY MOTIVATES YOU?

What motivates me is knowing that I always improve myself and recognizing that i can strive to be a better self while remaining true to my values. Nursing is a lifelong learning process and as long as there is room to grow, I can use the experiences to move myself forward.

Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with this situation?

When I had clinical at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I was in a patient's room who was getting ready to to receive chemotherapy. My preceptor stepped out of the room for a moment when the patient's family asked me what medication the patient is currently receiving. I suddently drew blank and turned very red. I knew what the mediation was but couldn't place the name in my head. I told the family that I don't know but I will get the nurse for you and got out of the room. I let my preceptor know the situation and we went over the medication. Then I remembered that it was Ativan(lorazepam) for nausea and vomiting. I was able to go back to the patient's family and explain to them the medication under my preceptor's supervision.

Give an example of a time you had to interact with a hostile patient. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?

When I had clinical at NYP Cornell psychiatry department, we were tasked with encouraging patients to participate in programs. I approached a young male patient and asked if he wanted to join. He yelled NO and I backed away. I quietly went to other side. I felt I shouldnt provoke him further. Upon talking to the clinical instructor, I found that he had an anger disorder and she said it was right to remove myself from the situation.

What measures do you take to stay knowledgeable?

When I have a chance, I do Continuing education classess online. WHen I encounter something at work, I make sure I research and gain knowledge.

WHEN WERE YOU THE HAPPIEST IN YOUR JOB?

When I make a difference in patient's life. When I make home visit, I assess the patient as well as their living environment and make recommendation that can improve their quality of life. And seeing that my help makes them comfortable and safe makes me happy.

Talk about a time you worked in a fast-paced setting. How do you prioritize tasks while maintaining excellent patient care?

When I was at Memorial SLoan Kettering for preceptership, there were times when due to short staffing, we had to work in fast paced environment. My preceptor and I agreed on what each other's roles were and were able to follow that thru. For example, I would prepare the IV line, flush them and hang them. My preceptor would insert IV but I would insert Central lines. I would do pre assessment and my preceptor would give chemotherapy.

Would you say you're a team player?

Yes I am a team player. I believe more minds, better input and better outcome. And you get to learn from each other along the way.

WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS AN ORGANIZED NURSE?

Yes I would. I like to have a checklist and make sure that each task is prioritized and completed accordingly. Especially in homecare, there are many paperwork and different documents to be completed for each patient and keeping on top of them takes lots of organization.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS?

Yes, I am a member of American Nurses Association and the New York State Nurses Association.

Are you a team player?

Yes, I am a team player because I know that the best care comes when the entire healthcare team works together.

Give me an example of a time when you motivated others

a lot of times, home health aides are tired and never fully invested in giving great care. So during inservice, I organized an activity to encourage and motivate the aides. I had them write a couple things that made them proud to be a home health aide and a couple that patients have praised about them. Then I had them read it loudly to the class. I told them that their work is great and valued and the patients and our staff are really thankful of their service. I received many positive feedback from the HHA that they felt heard and motivated.