Sample interview questions: Have you encountered any difficult or challenging situations while caring for geriatric patients? How did you handle them?
Sample answer:
Challenging Situations and Handling Strategies:
- Cognitive Impairment and Communication Difficulties:
- Challenge: Geriatric patients with cognitive impairment may struggle to communicate their needs and understand instructions.
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Handling Strategy: Using simple language, speaking slowly and clearly, maintaining eye contact, and providing visual cues can help facilitate communication. Additionally, respecting the patient’s pace and avoiding patronizing language is important.
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Medication Management:
- Challenge: Polypharmacy (taking multiple medications) is common among geriatric patients, increasing the risk of drug interactions and adverse reactions.
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Handling Strategy: Reviewing the patient’s medication list regularly, monitoring for potential drug interactions, and educating the patient and their caregivers about the medications’ purpose, dosage, and side effects can help ensure safe medication management.
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Mobility and Falls Prevention:
- Challenge: Geriatric patients are at increased risk of falls due to age-related changes in balance and coordination.
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Handling Strategy: Assessing the patient’s fall risk, implementing fall prevention strategies such as using assistive devices, ensuring adequate lighting, and removing hazards from the environment can help reduce the risk of falls.
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End-of-Life Care:
- Challenge: Providing compassionate care to terminally ill geriatric patients and supporting their families can be emotionally demanding.
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Handling Strategy: Establishing a trusting relationship with the patient and family, involving them in decision-making, and providing emotional support can help ease the transition. Seeking support from colleagues, utilizing available resources, and practicing self-care strategies are importan… Read full answer
Source: https://hireabo.com/job/2_0_13/Geriatric%20Nurse