If you can deal with challenging patients and take all careful measures in making sure that patient care is provided at its best, then you can be a good patient sitter. This article is going to help you in preparing for the interview along with its challenges and job description too. Here we are sharing Top 25 Patient Sitter Interview Questions and Answers that will be will helpful.
1. How Do You Stay Motivated In This Role?
My motivation in this role is to provide the best healthcare facilities to all patients who are coming to the hospital. I always take pride when a patient feels better physically and emotionally in my care. Their word of affirmation makes my day!
2. Why Did You Choose This Career?
While growing up, my grandfather had frequent trips to the hospital due to his cancer treatment. Under great medical care provided by doctors and nurses, I remember his sitter who would always provide great emotional support to all of us. I admired his work and skills and that’s why I joined.
3. Are You Aware Of Privacy Ethics In This Field? How To Ensure This At A Public Healthcare Unit?
It is an essential part of any healthcare system to protect all sorts of information private. I do understand that ever since the digital landscape has evolved, there is always a major risk for this. To deal with this, all hospitals should have clear policies and confidentially agreements from every staff member and patients should be informed about this to inform that the organization upholds strict confidentiality procedures.
Also, all medical staff should be regularly trained on this matter to reinforce that confidentiality matters are as important as healthcare matters at this organization.
4. What Are Your Strengths That Can Be Beneficial In This Job?
I have great communication skills that make me a perfect fit for this job. With my experience in team management, I have been able to develop self-control while dealing with different mindsets and I can easily work under pressure too. Being a very active member of different clubs at college, I developed great communication skills that help my patient care.
5. Which Illnesses Have You Dealt With Most In The Past Year And How Did You Help?
As you know past 2 years have been tough for everyone due to the pandemic. The complete isolation impacted the mental health of many Covid patients. The fear of losing life and the risk of testing positive was a reason for anxiety and panic attacks in patients. Since we all were not prepared for this illness, there was an increase in training and workshops related to mental health for staff and patients too.
6. What Is Your Weakness In This Role?
While dealing with critical patients, I end up questioning and doubting myself on my skills. Even though I am great at my work but I get emotionally involved with critical patients and I want to make sure that I am providing my best care to them. This sometimes causes a problem in time management but I am learning and improving myself.
7. Do You Prefer To Work Independently Or Do You Thrive In A Team Environment?
I do not have any preferences. I have performed well with my teams and alone too. I believe that interaction with teams is beneficial for all because you get to learn from each other in several cases when it comes to patient care. Team efforts do bring a lot of learning for the whole team and don’t limit the experience to just one person. I have been a great team player since my early career due to which I enjoy team sessions.
8. When You Are Piled Up With Work And Need To Meet Deadlines, How Will You Handle The Situation?
I know how to handle stressful situations at work due to my experience. I have worked with several community hospitals in my early career that has developed my time management skills. I make sure that I am well prepared all the time for any sort of patient coming into my care. I always make sure that I keep my sanity in stressful situations so that patients are not disturbed. If I feel that I have a lot on my plate on any particular day, I do not hesitate in asking for help from my team. In my opinion, it’s always better to ask for help rather than suffer a burnout that later causes a shortage of staff inpatient care unit.
On weekends, I make sure that I do some sort of activity that takes my mind off from work. I usually enjoy spending time with my friends and family. If they are unavailable, I enjoy my time alone in a book reading or going out for some window shopping too.
9. What Sort Of Patient Interaction Do You Have In Your Current Role?
Currently, my major tasks include keeping the patient’s room sanitized and clean especially since the pandemic. Being in the role, I also monitor their basic conditions like blood sugar and blood pressure to avoid less physical contact. I am also providing emotional support to the patient and their caregivers.
10. How Do You Deal With The Less Pleasant Tasks?
During those times, I always remind myself that I have a bigger role that involves caring for patients who are in vulnerable physical and mental states due to their illness. Since I enjoy my job, I hardly look at such tasks as trials. I believe if caregiver looks at a bigger picture rather than exhausting themselves on miscellaneous tasks, patient care does not get suffered.
11. In This Role, You Deal With A Lot Of Patients Who Are Not Listening To You Because You Are Not A Doctor. What Do You Do In Such Situations?
With patience, persuasiveness, and kindness in my body language and work, I never lose my temper in dealing with hyper patients. I never raise my voice or show aggressiveness in my work so that patient does not feel pressure from my side. I am always trying to make sure that I am a good communicator so that they can cooperate with me during their treatment.
12. What Do You Think Is The Hardest Part Of Working In Inpatient Care?
In my experience, dealing with elderly patients is the hardest task in this job. This is mainly because of their stubborn behavior since they have been highly independent during their lives. It is hard for them to accept that someone else can take care of them. In such cases, I always make sure that I am polite and kind to them in my skills.
13. Tell Me About A Time That You Were Tested In Your Role As A Patient Sitter.
I still remember that patient of mine. The patient had suffered from a major brain injury and was bedridden for a few weeks. During the day, he would be calm and patient with all the care being provided. As night came, he used to become irrationally angry and became physically violent to medical staff. At first, I used my persuasion skills to calm him down during those rage shows and made him understand that all of us are here to help him in getting better. The medical care will be provided for a very small period as long as he takes care of himself and improves his health. Within a few weeks, the patient was well with the proper care.
14. As A Patient Sitter, Do You Think Your Role Has Limitations?
Yes, the role has limitations but it’s only due to the nature of the patient care. While dealing with patients, I always feel my limitations because I cannot provide mental health counseling. My role is limited to emotional support. In my capacity, I always make sure that I compassionate and active listener to all my patients so that they remain calm during their stay.
15. How Important Is Body Language In Providing Patient Care?
It is one of the essential skills when it comes to providing good patient care. A patient sitter should have good body language when dealing with all types of patients. If Intimidation is seen, it can cause stress and anxiety in an ailing patient and hurt the patient. While taking care of the patient, one must make sure that they are giving undivided attention and making eye contact while talking to any patient.
16. What Is The Best Diet For A Diabetic Patient?
The best diet for diabetic patient management should involve fresh roots and vegetables, lean cuts of meat, and the reduction or avoid them is alcohol consumption, especially full-strength beer and spirits. It is often this last point that is the most difficult one for a diabetic patient to face because they feel that a doctor is trying to ruin a part of their life and enjoy. Usually, the patients feel that doctors are asking to completely give up alcohol consumption. As a patient sitter, one should talk to the patient to consume alcohol moderately and responsibly.
17. Name A Few Basic Patient Care Supplies.
To ensure caregiving hygienically, the patient sitter should ensure the physical safety of the patient, and also prevent the transfer of disease-causing microorganisms from the patient to his caregiver. There are various kinds of patient care supplies, meant to serve varied purposes-gloves, equipment like alarms that ensure patient safety and those that are required when lifting or moving patients, devices that help during feeding times, and various kinds of needles and syringes. When taking care of patients, caregivers should wear gloves to prevent the transfer of harmful microorganisms. These gloves can be made from latex, vinyl, or nitrile. They are available in powdered or powder-free forms and if not disposable, should be sterilized after each use. Ensure that you get fresh supplies to replace the ones that are torn or damaged in any other way. Also, Patient alarms are essential in places that the person frequents. There should always be an alarm beside the bed of the patient, one near his chair, and another fitted in the bathroom that he uses. Additionally, there should be door and room alarms.
18. Are You Familiar With Prescription Management Software?
Prescription management software has made a huge impact on the healthcare industry, improving the level of patient care for many private practices and hospitals. E-prescribing software enables full, mobile capabilities for doctors. Doctors can write or authorize patient prescriptions from anywhere along with access to a wireless network. When doctors are on the go, their practices do not have to slow down.
19. In Your Point Of View, What Are The Advantages Of Medical Device Interoperability?
Medical device connectivity has made life easier for many healthcare providers working in high and low-acuity environments. Medical device interoperability has had a positive impact on:
- Accuracy of information – eliminates the potential of charting errors or omissions since data is captured from the device.
- Timeliness- improves the timeliness of documentation by virtually eliminating the time from which vitals were collected to then charted.
- Process steps to document patient information – reduces non-value steps and tasks to document.
- Completeness of the patient record- reduces inappropriate, delayed, or missed treatment since information is in the record when the caregiver needs it.
20. How Do You Distinguish Between The Positions Of Medical Assistant And Patient Care Technician? Do You Think They’re The Same?
The overall duties of both professions are somehow overlapping but the basic difference is that medical assistants can do administrative work in their capacity. The medical assistant record vital signs compile the patient’s medical history and administer the medications as directed by the physicians. In administrative tasks, medical assistants are responsible for appointment scheduling and updating patient information in insurance forms. On the other hand, patient care technicians provide basic care for patients that include serving meals, changing bedding, and helping in using the restroom. At times, they can monitor vital signs too and provide emotional support to caregivers and loved ones of the patients.
21. What Skills Do You Think Are Most Important For A Patient Sitter?
The basic role is to ensure the supervision of the patients all the time. For this, I believe a patient sitter should have great communication skills so that basic personal care can be provided that including helping the patient to move around. If the communication skill is strong, the sitter can provide great emotional support to an ailing patient which has a direct impact on the recovery of any patient.
22. In Your Opinion, How Important Is A Specialized Area Of Practice Inpatient Care?
Few of the most popular specialties for technicians include departments such as surgery, radiology, cardiology, and nephrology. These fields manage patients that are considered high risk or that suffer from chronic illnesses that require long-term monitoring and treatment. While technicians working in these specialties are responsible for tasks that are unique to the field, they must have a solid mastery of the basics of patient care. In addition to the basic responsibilities associated with caring for patients, specialists are often required to administer diagnostic exams, provide an initial evaluation of exam quality, prepare patients for procedures, and assist with both invasive and noninvasive interventions. Some of these tasks may require individuals to complete specialized training and certification.
23. What Are The Few Basic Pieces Of Training Taught To Patient Sitters In Fundamentals?
The basic training covers the essentials of CPR, basic first aid, and teaches how to check a patient’s pulse, respiration, temperature, and blood pressure. Sitters also learn how to assist doctors and nurses during medical exams. They are also taught how to draw blood, discontinue an IV, hook up a heart monitor, use the EKG machines, and assist with basic laboratory tests and procedures being performed in a clinical setting.
24. Why Do You Think Patient Sitters Are Essential In The Healthcare Structure?
Based on my experience, I do not believe medical facilities can perform well without patient sitters. Not all illnesses can be handled with medicines and treatments; sometimes emotional support is as important as daily medicine. With trained patient sitters, patient care turns into satisfying care at a healthcare facility.
25. In Your Opinion, What Are The Limitations Of A Patient Sitter?
With day-to-day monitoring of the patient, a patient sitter may recognize the signs of any illness but cannot provide a diagnosis. The patient sitter cannot also administer any medication without getting instruction from a nurse or physician.
Conclusion
We wish you all the best for the interview as a patient sitter. Don’t forget to be confident about your skills and experience and never shy away from sharing similar experiences in response to questions. Arrive at the venue of the interview on time and dress nicely so that your first impression is a good one! These 25 questions are surely going to help in acing the first round of interviews as a psychologist. Good luck!
