If you’ve ever been through a healthcare interview, you know they are rarely easy. This is particularly true if you serve in a clinical position. But the healthcare field is rapidly growing, bringing in new talent to close gaps caused by labor shortages. So, if you’re new to the field or interested in changing careers, there’s a good chance you’ll face a healthcare interview sometime soon. This blog will help you prepare for some of the most common healthcare questions—and how to answer them.
Top Health Care Questions
Some of the top healthcare interview questions that you should prepare to answer include:
- Why did you choose a healthcare career?
- Can you describe a time when you had to handle a difficult patient or situation?
- How do you stay current with the latest medical developments and treatments?
- How do you handle stress in a fast-paced healthcare environment?
- How do you prioritize and manage your workload?
- Can you describe a time when you had to work as part of a team to achieve a common goal?
- How do you maintain patient confidentiality and ensure privacy?
- How do you deal with emotional situations?
- Have you ever had to deal with a difficult colleague? How did you handle it?
- Can you give an example of a time when you had to think outside the box to solve a problem?
- Can you describe your experience with EHRs or another healthcare tech?
- What is your experience with infection control and prevention?
- Tell me about a time you faced an ethical problem in your practice. What did you do?
Now let’s discuss how to answer these or other questions in your healthcare interview.
How to Answer Difficult Health Care Interview Questions
Answering difficult healthcare questions during an interview can be challenging. Here are a few strategies that can help you give a more effective and thoughtful response:
- Be honest. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s better to admit it and say that you’ll find out the answer and get back to the interviewer. You can then follow up in an email.
- Be specific. Provide concrete examples of your skills, experiences, and qualifications. Give precise answers with clear examples or anecdotes.
- Show enthusiasm. Express your passion for the healthcare field and your desire to impact the lives of patients and their families.
- Highlight your strengths. Try to answer in a way that demonstrates how you are an ideal candidate for the role.
- Show flexibility. Illustrate that you are willing to learn and adapt, particularly on questions where the interviewer tries to gauge your ability to handle conflict with colleagues or patients.
- Use the STAR method. For behavioral questions (“Tell me about a time”) tell your story by structuring your answer via the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result). STAR will help keep your response organized and provide a clear example for the interviewer.
- Finally, practice your responses. Pull up a Zoom and watch yourself answer these questions. Or practice with a friend as they grill you in preparation for the real thing.
Fly With BlueBird Staffing
If you’re ready to practice your interview skills, why not start with the Bluebird Staffing team? We have hot jobs in the healthcare field and are committed to helping you land your next career.
