introductory questions Flashcards
what are your ambitions for the next 10 years
over the next 10 years, I envision myself growing both personally and professionally in the nursing field. I aim to complete my nursing course and gain valuable experience working as a registered nurse. I hope to take on more leadership roles, whether that’s mentoring new nurses, becoming a charge nurse or working as a part of the healthcare management team. Long term, I would love to pursue further education, potentially faining advanced qualifications like becoming a nurse practitioner or being involved in research, exploring ways to improve nursing practices etc. Overall, I have a desire to make a meaningful impact in the nursing profession.
how do you handle stress
I’ve found that I actually work well under pressure as it allows me to stay focused on the task at hand. However, when I do get overwhelmed with assignments and deadlines, I manage to balance the tasks well by doing them in moderation and not overworking myself so that I get burnt out. For example, when I was doing my EPQ, I was falling behind due to the absence of my supervisor and this meant that I had to do most of my EPQ work in year 13, which is obviously a very busy and stressful year. I managed to find the right balance between doing schoolwork and EPQ by assigning specific days where I would complete my EPQ and by doing this, it ensured that I didn’t fall behind on assignments whilst also being able to do my EPQ at a steady pace.
what distinguishes you from other candidates
As someone who regularly volunteered as a ward buddy, I gained valuable insight into the role of a nurse, and I have many of the relevant skills and characteristics needed to be a nurse. I believe that I am a compassionate and caring individual which I have demonstrated on many occasions during volunteering. For example, I have encountered many distressed and upset patients in my time as a volunteer and by acknowledging their feelings and listening without judgment, I was able to ease their anxiety which enabled me to build a rapport with my patients. I also think communication is key to a good working environment and I have demonstrated my communication skills when working as a customer retail assistant….
what aspect of nursing are you looking forward to the most
Delivering care for and building a meaningful relationship with patients is a very prominent aspect of nursing and I look forward to that the most. Its an opportunity for me to help people whilst they’re the most vulnerable and so far it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience when I’ve done this in volunteering.
why nursing and not medicine
- nursing emphasises holistic patient care, allowing for more direct interaction with patients
- enjoy building relationships and providing compassionate care. enjoyed in volunteering.
Nursing is a field that is often in high demand, providing job security and various employment opportunities across different settings.
Nursing often offers more flexible working hours compared to the demanding schedule that can come with being a doctor.
what does the role involve based on work experience that you’ve done
I had the opportunity to observe a nurse practitioner and a GP at a GP practice and I saw the differences in their approach to care and training. The nurse practitioner could diagnose and treat illnesses, and prescribe medications similar to physicians but… NPs focus on holistic and preventative care, often specialising in specific patient groups, so in this case it was the older demographic (18+), whereas GPs provide broad, and comprehensive care and manage more complex medical cases independently. The nurse practitioner dealt with the patients professionally, creating a comforting atmosphere for them but also quickly diagnosing them under time pressure and allowed them to leave the room like they’d been listened to and heard. Another example of when I saw the role of a nurse was when I did work experience in the operating theatre. They had a range of roles, from pre-op care where they conducted the pre-surgical assessments and prepped them for surgery, to closely collaborating with the multidisciplinary team of surgeons and anesthesiologists. they all joined in a room before the surgery and the nurse shared all the medical information about the patient and discussed their expectations on how the surgery should go. From all this work experience, it is obvious that the role of a nurse can differ between settings, of a smaller intimate setting of the GP practice, to the larger and more complex setting of the hospital.
what is your biggest achievement
I think my greatest achievement would be presenting my gcse english speaking presentation in front of my entire class in a lecture theatre. public speaking wasn’t always my strong point and having to do it in front of an entire class was a really daunting idea to me. but with consistent practice of my presentation, and by thoroughly knowing my topic, I was able to do the presentation with ease and this expanded my public speaking and presentation skills which will be incredibly useful in nursing as advocating for patients and communicating in a team will require me to speak in front of a large group.
