“The greatest challenge in my previous management role was shifts that were short-staffed. In these instances, I reached out to our contingent nurse pool in order to fill critical vacancies.”

“A patient threatened to immediately self-discharge due to frustration with their care. I explained the life-threatening risks to the patient if they were to proceed with such a plan and worked with them, nursing staff and providers to find an acceptable solution.

This situation worried me a lot at the time. I have since learned to better regulate my own emotions and remain calm during these complicated situations. I find that actually makes me stronger.”

“A patient injured a nurse, and I immediately called security and used the hospital intercom procedures for communicating the need to initiate hospital protocols and ensure the safety of other patients and staff. At the time, I entered the patient’s room and tried to de-escalate. However, I now realize I should have cleared the area and waited for security to arrive to take further action and discuss the incident.”

“At my previous employment, I had to lay off a new hire due to budget cuts. I worked closely with human resources to clearly deliver the information and explain the reasoning for the layoff. I volunteered to be a reference for any future employment opportunities.”

“Each year, I attend the American Public Health Association and American Nursing Association’s annual conferences to network with members and continue learning best practices for my patients and my unit. I also routinely complete online continuing education courses.”

“Certified nursing assistants are just as important as registered nurses because they provide various services that help patients feel comfortable and well taken care of. They also support registered nurses by completing tasks that enable them to focus on medical care.

For example, certified nursing assistants in my unit assist patients with bathing and eating. They also provide additional pillows and blankets, or help them reposition in bed. Because of this, registered nurses can focus on higher-skilled tasks such as starting IVs, monitoring vital sign trends and completing assessments on patients.”

“Creating an effective nursing schedule that works for everyone is a really important part of my job. To do this, I first conduct an assessment of our unit’s overall needs and ask my team to fill out a paid time off form so I can work out who wants to take time off and when.

As far in advance as possible, I assign schedules to everyone using workforce management tools. On an ongoing basis, I monitor any shift swapping so I can make sure that all hours are covered and establish some ground rules for doing so, like letting me know first.”

“Yes, I have been in charge of a nursing budget in the past. My financial plan covers nursing shifts, including overtime pay or agency work, as well as an inventory budget and other supplies.

To help reduce or manage costs, I look for ways to optimize operations, for example, through waste reduction and the proper management of high-use supplies. This can mean not overstocking items or having duplicates of equipment that we already have and do not have to replace soon.”

“It is my duty as a nurse manager to protect the well-being of both my nursing staff and patients. First, I would create a private, one-on-one space to discuss the matter with the staff member, using active listening to identify the reason for their discomfort.

If a staff member feels unsafe around the patient or experiences discrimination, I would escalate to a safety officer or a senior member of staff. However, if it is simply a personality conflict, I would look for ways to help them manage the conflict and de-escalate the situation.”

“I have been in charge of an inventory in the past. I’ll conduct regular inventory audits to identify low stock levels, which may involve assigning a team member to count each item and record the count.

For items that regularly need replenishing, I’ll establish a Periodic Automatic Replenishment level for syringes, bandages, swabs and other instruments my team uses and replaces. Getting the balance right between overstocking and running out can be a challenge, so I regularly monitor the levels of these items to make sure that we have enough items to last until the next restock period.”