OET WARM-UP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- Why did you choose to become a nurse?
There are several reasons why I choose nursing. First of all, many of my relatives are nurses and their stories inspired me a lot. Besides, nursing is a profession with an ocean of opportunities both native and abroad. Above all, this is a service-oriented profession in which I can serve humanity. Hence I choose nursing as my career.
2. Why did you choose OET?
It is my long-term ambition to work as a registered nurse in any English-speaking country such as the UK, Ireland and so on. In order to meet the requirements to register as a nursing professional there, I need to prove my English language proficiency. Hence I choose OET to fulfil my dream. Moreover, OET is tailored according to the needs of nursing professionals therefore I believe I could perform well in this test.
3. What are the current trends in your profession?
Nursing is a dynamic profession and changes are happening on daily basis. Nowadays technology plays a vital role in my profession. For instance, paper records that we used in older days have been updated to electronic records. Besides at present we are following evidenced based practice which means there is a scientific rationale for each and every procedure. Moreover, in present days a nurse can function as a nurse practitioner which is equivalent to the position of a physician.
4. Do you have a role model in your profession?
Yes, I do. My role model is my mother. I follow many things that my mother does. It is from my mother I learned the basics of kind behaviour, decision-making and organising skills, a polite and humble manner, helping and sharing mentality. The care and respect she gives to each and every one makes me wonder sometimes. She is a perfect example of womanhood. I believe a nurse should possess all these qualities. She is my superhero.
5. Which is your favourite destination? Why?
My dream destination is Australia. The first and foremost thing is that Australia has got a world-class healthcare system and I can be a part of it. Secondly, the country has a better standard of living and economic and political stability. Besides, here nurses are paid well and respected too. In addition, I have many friends and relatives over there so they can help me during my initial days.
6. What are the qualities that a nurse should possess?
Of course, a nurse should possess a variety of qualities. First of all, he/she should possess excellent communication skills which help them not only to gather clinical data but also to maintain an effective relationship with other team members. Secondly, problem-solving and critical thinking skills are essential for nurses to deal with emergencies and difficult situations. Other qualities such as punctuality, dedication, honesty and competency are also pivotal for nurses.
7. What are the different roles of a nurse?
A nurse plays different roles in her profession. The primary role of a nurse is a caregiver. Apart from this role, she functions as a mediator, advocate, counsellor, educator and the like. A nurse plays a very crucial role in the health care system connecting various departments in the industry for the welfare of patients.
8. What are the pieces of advice for the upcoming nurses?
As a nurse definitely I can give a bunch of advice to upcoming nurses. Firstly I advise them to love their profession. If anyone loves their profession they can carry out their responsibilities in an efficient manner without complaints. Apart from that, I advise them to be dedicated to their profession and maintain professional standards. These are very essential because a nurse should abide by nursing ethics on any grounds. These are a few pieces of advice that I like to give to future nurses.
9. Describe your typical working day.
My day starts with a prayer. After completing my daily routines I reach my workstation by 7 30. Before taking handover I complete my inventories and update the crash cart medication and dressing trolley. After receiving the hand over I interact with my patients in order to identify their health needs. Based on my assessment plan a nursing care plan and provide quality care for my patients. Afterwards, I assist the physician in his work and carry out necessary clinical orders. Meanwhile, I definitely find some time to interact with my colleagues and maintain a good rapport with them. My duty ends by 3 30 after giving hand over to the next scheduled staff members.
10. Do you think nurses should attend continuous nursing education?
Yes, I do. The continuous nursing education programme helps nurses to update themselves with the current practices in their profession. Moreover, nowadays it is mandatory to have specific hours of continuing nursing education in order to renew the nursing registration. Hence continuous nursing education is very important for nurses.
11. Tell me a quality that you possess which suits your profession.
I think I have excellent communication skills which help me to interact with my patient in a professional manner. Apart from this it also helps me to maintain a good relationship with my colleagues. So I think this is the one quality which suits my profession.
12. Do you believe there is gender disparity in your profession?
No, I don’t. Previously it was a female-dominated profession. Now the trends have changed and there are large numbers of male nurses in my profession.
11. What do you find rewarding about this job?
I truly love helping people, and when those people are children, there’s no better feeling in the world. I remember having one little boy as a patient who had a long-term issue resulting in the loss of one of his legs. During the course of his treatments, we discovered we had a mutual love for robot movies. I stayed with him all through his amputation surgery, and when he was fitted with his prosthetic. I was there to cheer him on. We celebrated his first step with his new leg by throwing a robot movie marathon in the common room. His dad pulled me aside that afternoon and told me how grateful the whole family was for all our help and support. It wasn’t an easy time for that boy or for his family, but knowing that it was a little easier because I was there and had made a genuine personal connection with them all was humbling and inspiring.
12. What do you find rewarding about benign a nurse?
I truly love helping people and the most rewarding thing for me as a nurse is seeing the joy of patient and their families. It is always a priceless feeling to see our patients recover to a normal life after going through a difficult time. Throughout my years as a nurse, I have seen many heartbreaking times as well, and being able to help those families cope with loss has been very difficult, but also rewarding.
13. How do you deal with someone who isn’t satisfied with your patient care?
Nobody likes not feeling well, and it’s easy to have those feeling manifest as frustration and anger. While I constantly strive to do everything I can for a patient, there are times when even that isn’t good enough and someone takes issue with my care. The first thing I have to do in that situation is to step back and really assess what’s going on. Are they upset because of something I’m doing or not doing? Is it something I can correct or should correct it? Once the confusion was cleared up, we were able to work with the patient to come up with a satisfactory solution. I work hard to ensure that I answer patients’ questions and when I can’t, I try to find the people who can. Sometimes, even with all that, you find people who aren’t happy with what you’re doing. In those situations. I do my best to accommodate them without compromising their care. If it’s a situation where I really can’t fix the problem, then I work with the other nurses and doctors on my team to find an alternative solution.
14. Tell me what you feel your greatest skill as a nurse is.
My greatest skill as a nurse is my communication ability. I’m very proud of my ability to really listen to what a patient is telling me. Nothing frustrates them more than feeling as though they’re not being heard and actively listening can go in helping make someone comfortable. In addition, I learned that addressing their concerns and communicating in an assured manner make them feel comfortable which is important to receiving quality care.
15. What do you find is the hardest part about being a nurse?
I think the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with is feeling helpless. While it’s my job to provide as much care and comfort as medically possible, there are times when you just can’t do more. Seeing someone in pain or feeling miserable and knowing there’s nothing you can do to help is the most difficult thing I deal with. I am a nurse because I genuinely care about people and want to help, and when I can’t, that’s hard.
16. How do you handle the stress of the job?
I find the best way to handle the stress of being a nurse is through meticulous organization and attention to detail, by making lists and prioritizing what needs to get done throughout my day. I find that tasks which might seem overwhelming all at once are much more manageable. This also makes it possible for me to stay calm and remain focused on what needs to get done when unexpected situations arise.
17. What do you find is the hardest part about being a nurse?
I think the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with is feeling helpless. While it’s my job to provide as much care and comfort as medically possible, there are times when you just can’t do more. Seeing someone in pain or feeling miserable and knowing there’s nothing you can do to help is the most difficult thing I deal with. I am a nurse because I genuinely care about people and want to help, and when I can’t, that’s hard.
18. How do you handle the stress of the job?
I find the best way to handle the stress of being a nurse is through meticulous organization and attention to detail, by making lists and prioritizing what needs to get done throughout my day. I find that tasks which might seem overwhelming all at once are much more manageable. This also makes it possible for me to stay calm and remain focused on what needs to get done when unexpected situations arise.
19. Are you comfortable working with other doctors and nurses?
I find I work well under a variety of conditions and circumstances and I take pride in my flexibility. I really enjoy working in a team because I often find that different viewpoints can help me find solutions to a problem I might not think of on my own. I also enjoy self-motivating and am equally comfortable working alone
20. Would you say you’re a team player?
I find I work well under a variety of conditions and circumstances and I take pride in my flexibility. I really enjoy working in a team because I often find that different viewpoints can help me find solutions to a problem I might not think of on my own. I also enjoy self-motivating and am equally comfortable working alone.