Tell us about a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities and how you handled it?

One time, I had two urgent tasks at work: attending to a patient who needed immediate care and completing a report for a meeting. To manage the conflicting priorities, I first assessed the patient's needs and determined that another nurse could attend to them temporarily while I focused on the report. I communicated this to my colleague and ensured they had all the necessary information. I then dedicated my full attention to completing the report efficiently by prioritizing the most crucial information. Once the report was finished, I promptly returned to the patient's side to continue providing care. By effectively managing the conflicting priorities, I was able to ensure both the patient's immediate needs were met and the report was completed on time.

In a past role, I encountered a situation where I had to juggle conflicting priorities. One day, I was responsible for administering medications to several patients while also assisting in a therapy session. As the therapy session was time-sensitive, I needed to find a solution. I prioritized patient safety by quickly assessing the severity of each patient's condition and delegating medication administration to a trusted colleague after providing clear instructions. This allowed me to attend the therapy session without compromising patient care. To manage my stress, I took a moment to practice deep breathing techniques and remind myself of the importance of remaining calm in high-pressure situations. I also engaged in open communication with my colleagues, ensuring they were aware of the conflicting priorities and the actions I had taken to address them. This fostered a supportive and collaborative environment. Overall, my ability to manage conflicting priorities in this situation relied on effective communication, stress management techniques, and a solution-oriented mindset.

The solid answer provides more specific details about how the candidate communicated with their colleague, managed their stress, and resolved the conflict. It also emphasizes the importance of patient safety and collaboration.

During my time as a Psychiatric Nurse, I faced a situation that required me to effectively manage multiple conflicting priorities. One day, while conducting individual therapy sessions with patients, I received an urgent call from a colleague who needed assistance in de-escalating a highly agitated patient in the common area. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, I swiftly ended the ongoing therapy session and communicated the situation to the patient, ensuring their safety during the transition. Simultaneously, I contacted the necessary team members to provide backup support for the ongoing therapy sessions. This allowed me to join my colleague in managing the agitated patient, utilizing crisis intervention techniques and my strong clinical skills in a psychiatric setting. After successfully de-escalating the situation and ensuring the safety of all involved, I followed up with the patient whose therapy session had been interrupted, engaging in an open and empathetic conversation about the disruption and providing additional support as needed. Additionally, I proactively communicated with the rest of the team to ensure proper coordination and ongoing patient care. Reflecting on this experience, I believe my ability to manage conflicting priorities stemmed from my excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong clinical skills, and ability to handle stressful and emotionally charged situations with professionalism and composure.

The exceptional answer provides a detailed and specific example of managing conflicting priorities, showcasing the candidate's excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong clinical skills, and ability to handle stressful and emotionally charged situations. It demonstrates their crisis intervention and conflict resolution skills by efficiently de-escalating an agitated patient and maintaining ongoing patient care.