“During my five years of experience in this unit, I have gained expertise in our unit processes and the management of our patients. I am viewed as a resource amongst unit staff and feel that this has built a foundation to be an effective leader in the charge nurse role.”

“Throughout my experience on this unit, I have sat in on several staffing meetings with prior charge nurses. I have developed processes to maintain organization within the role and would delegate tasks as needed to ensure appropriate patient care.”

“A patient was angry and threw objects across the room. Instead of immediately restraining him, I followed appropriate hospital protocols and alerted security. I successfully de-escalated the situation and identified the cause of the patient’s agitation. I discussed his concerns with the doctor, and I suggested a workable compromise.”

“I place the most emphasis on mentoring. In my current role as a staff nurse, I enjoy utilizing my experience to teach and precept nursing students and new employees. I have gained significant experience in this unit and would translate that knowledge to mentoring others in the charge nurse role.”

“Family is part of the patient’s health care team. They must be kept informed about patient care and consulted regularly, provided the patient consents to their involvement. Most complaints can be traced to a lack of communication, and I would work with the assigned nurse, attending physicians and unit management to make sure the family was knowledgeable regarding the patient’s condition and plans for care.”

“As a nurse myself, I personally understand how hard it is when you lose a patient in your care. It is one of the hardest parts of nursing, but unfortunately, it is a common occurrence in our profession. I would take the time to pull aside the new nurse and comfort them, reminding them that they can channel their emotions into providing care for our other patients.

I'd refer them to the resources I use to cope with compassion fatigue, including a nursing support group I attend. I would offer to cover their other patients while they took a break so that they could have the time needed to refocus for the remainder of the shift.”

“I would allow a few minutes to see if they were just late. After this, I would try to contact the member of staff by phone to find out the reason for their absence. If I didn’t receive a response, I would arrange locum cover for them as soon as possible, or ask another nurse on the team to cover their shift.

I would also investigate the matter further by informing human resources and keeping a record of the nursing staff’s absence.”

“Patient records must be highly accurate, clear, free of jargon and personal opinion. When I add to a patient record, I make sure that any information is specific and communicates this to the rest of the team effectively.”

“Patient discharge is an essential step, as you have to ensure they are ready to leave the hospital. To begin, I initiate discharge planning during admission, in collaboration with the rest of the responsible medical team.

Through regular meetings and check-ins, I make sure that we meet all the criteria of our team’s discharge readiness checklist based on the IDEAL framework (Include, Discuss, Educate, Assess, Listen), working hard to ensure that a patient’s treatment, follow-up care and transport are all followed up on in a timely fashion.”

“In my previous role, I had to deal with a physician who would not explain patient care plans clearly, using a lot of medical jargon, which was particularly difficult for junior nurses to quickly understand. This could often lead to delays in patient care.

To resolve the issue, I held a one-on-one meeting with the physician in question, where I discussed my team’s concerns in a diplomatic and calm manner. Through being proactive in my communication with the physician, we resolved this issue and continue to follow up regularly to ensure there are no further issues of the same kind.”