What is the importance of risk assessment?
Help us to assess and manage risk
Minimise risk and harm to patients
Only take risk where the benefits outweigh the risks
Make an informed decision on whether to take action or not
Provide an example e.g. when giving a medication to a patient - based on the contraindications - is
it in their interests to take it?
Do it on a daily basis - for example whether to where ppe
Should be based on what is reasonable and logical
Need to review risk assessment as time goes on
infection control
Hand hygiene
Ppe
Aseptic non touch technique
Cleaning and disinfection
Waste protocols
Linen segregation
Needle stick and sharps injury prevention
Alcohol hand rub
Patient education (cough etiquette and waste disposal)
Scenario of what will you do if the client will complain chest pain
Prioritization of ABC - focus on airway
Take vital signs
Provide supplemental oxygen
Attach to a cardiac monitor
Do blood test to check cardiac markers
Perform ECG to rule out MI or stroke
Consider providing nitroglycerin to help manage the pain based on dr's orders
Take full patient history - have they had chest pain previously? Has anything changed recently i.e.
medication?
And what will u do if u r asked to do a procedure that u r not trained
of.
It's really important in nursing that you only work within your limits/competencies and know what
you're capable of
I am always willing to learn
Review the procedure guidelines
Seek help/advice/guidance from another nurse with experience
Ask to be supervised
Depending on what it was, I might watch one first then try independently with supervision until I
was confident
I would only perform the procedure on the patient when I was confident in my abilities and
supervision - I would never want to put the patient at risk
Then how u deal with agitated patient.
Remain calm
Talk to them - try to understand how they are feeling
Maintain eye contact
Be empathetic
Focus on being patient-centred and putting myself in their shoes
Treat the whole patient - not just the physical symptoms but also the mental symptoms
It is not unusual for a patient to be frustrated with their situation
Don't take it personally - patients are having a difficult time
Learn from experience - learn what works - continuous improvement
If necessary take a step back to protect my safety
Biggest challenge personally and professionally
Don’t say you haven’t had any challenges
Choose examples where you can show your problem-solving/ communication/ relationship-building/
leadership skills.
Don’t choose a challenge that you failed.
Choose an example that you successfully conquered the challenge
E.g. at university the workload was very high and a lot of us were getting quite stressed about it as we
working at the same time so I created a study group for myself and some friends. We would each
do some reading and report back to the group. It helped our communication skills and the
workload became much easier to handle.
E.g. At work I noticed that my colleagues weren’t particularly strong at implementing infection control
procedures so I created fun weekly challenges and communicated about it in our weekly meetings
and results really improved.
Good qualities of a nurse:
Putting patient at the centre of what you do
Providing holistic care
Being compassionate and caring
Communicating effectively with patients, relatives and other colleagues
Continuous improvement attitude/ desire to learn
Respecting others
Demonstrating integrity
Attention to detail
Ability to problem solve
Provide examples of these qualities if you can
Medication error:
Ask the patient how they are feeling
Tell the patient what has happened – must be honest and transparent
Escalate to the dr to see if an antidote can be given/ how care should be managed
Report it
Reflect on why the mistake happened – how could processes be improved to avoid this going
forward? Continuous improvement.
Respecting privacy and dignity:
Total patient care
About respect
Understanding how individuals like to be treated
Important to maintain an effective relationship with the patient – building trust
Helps to keep patient calm and relaxed
Listen to the patient – ask how they’d like to be cared for
Ask for their opinions
Use the curtains to provide privacy when needed
Try to provide privacy e.g. giving them a towel to drape over them
Protect their personal information – demonstrate confidentiality
Assist the patient with personal grooming
Get permission before touching belongings
