Due to the increasing demand for nurses worldwide, developing new strategies to address the nursing shortage is vital. Recruiting nurses has become an increasingly difficult task. Interviewing and choosing a candidate is never an easy job and doing it remotely can sometimes make it feel more pressured. Nursing recruiters need to know how to assess OSCE readiness at interviews.

Primarily, it is based on the information known about the candidate and how well they interviewed. However, focused, lean recruiting tactics can help inform the right decisions and decrease the nursing shortage.

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used worldwide to evaluate nurse competence. The OSCE is based on a series of clinical stations which are used to determine patient-centeredness, flexibility to adapt to different circumstances, ability to decide quickly, especially for urgent situations, clinical judgment, and the familiarity or knowledge on the UK nursing protocols such as the 6Cs, NEWS2, and PHQ9s. Therefore, we would do well to assess OSCE readiness at interviews through specific questions designed to assess these competencies.

 

Here are our top 5 ways on how to assess OSCE readiness at interviews with example interview questions):

1. Demonstration of excellent patient care above all else

Candidates should be prepared to share examples of times they delivered exceptional care or took the time to educate patients and families on medical-related topics.

Example Questions:

• How would you handle a situation where the patient’s family was dissatisfied with your care?
• What is your communicating style with people who do not know medical jargon? Provide an example when you explained medical terminology in layman’s terms with who is not medically trained.
• Was there a time when you provided effective patient or family education? How did it go?
• Cite an example of a time you had to interact with a hostile patient. How did you manage it, and what was the outcome?
• Narrate a time you were faced with a patient who chose not to communicate or disclose important information. How did you handle the situation?

 

2. Competency in working under pressure

Asking a range of scenario-based questions can help you discover if a candidate is effective at thinking on their feet. Candidates should draw on past clinical experiences to show they can handle the urgency, crisis, and uncertainty relating to the nursing profession.

Example Questions:

• Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?
• Tell of a time when your facility was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?
• Tell me about a time when you didn’t know the answer to something at work. How did you go about finding the information?
• Give me an example of an awkward situation at work. How did you resolve the situation?
• Tell me about a time you failed. How did you deal with this situation?
• State an example of a time when you anticipated potential problems with a patient and initiated preventive measures.

 

3. Ability to balance multiple tasks and focus on the priority areas to deliver quality care within the required timescales

Employers are looking particular with nurses who can effectively manage multiple patients, administer drugs on time and maintain detailed patient care notes. Candidates should emphasize their punctuality, ability to meet deadlines, and organizational skills during their interviews.

Example Questions:

• State an example about a time you worked in a fast-paced setting. How do you prioritize tasks while maintaining excellent patient care?
• Describe your experience with a very ill patient who required a lot of your time. How did you manage this patient’s care while adequately attending to other patients?
• Share about a time when you felt overwhelmed with your work or patient load. What did you do?
• Give an example of a relevant goal you set for yourself. Were you able to accomplish that goal? How did you manage to achieve it?
• Describe a decision you had to take quickly regarding a patient.

 

4. Demonstration of effective clinical judgement

Assessing a candidates’ clinical judgment is also vital during the interview assessment. Clinical judgment is evidence-based, demonstrates interpretative reasoning, and reflects a deep understanding of the patient’s experience, preference, and values. It should also highlight high ethical standards.

Example Questions:

• Cite clinical data from the patient’s chart is relevant and is significant to the nurse?
• What nursing priority will guide the plan of care?
• Describe what the desired patient outcome is?
• How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the nursing interventions?
• What assessment(s) to use on the patient’s primary problem or nursing care priority?

 

5. Familiarization with the 6Cs, NEWS2, PHQ9, and NHS hot topics (specifically for the international nurse OSCE)

Although you wouldn’t expect an international nurse to be 100% confident in all aspects of UK clinical paperwork, you would expect them to demonstrate some initiative in exploring how a NEWS2 works, what a PHQ9 looks like, and what the 6Cs are – if nothing else because they will need to use this information to inform their CBT. Assessing a candidate on how well they prepare for an interview shows dedication and effort into passing their OSCE test.

Example Questions:

• Share a time when you showed genuine compassion when dealing with a patient.
• Which of the 6Cs do you deem is most significant?
• What is your understanding of how NEWS2 works? How important is the reliable response and escalation of NEWS2?
• Discuss how to use PHQ9 to assist with recognizing and diagnosing the most common mental health disorders in primary care patients?

 

For more information on the nurse recruitment process, please visit My HealthCare Recruit 

Picture: Anna Shvets