Interview

By: Grace C. Espino

 Definition:

Is a planned communication or conversation

with a purpose, to get or give information,
identify problems of mutual concern,
evaluate change, teach, support, or provide
counseling or therapy.

Example: Nursing health history

 Nursing interview has two
focuses:
1. Establishing rapport and a trusting
relationship with the client to elicit accurate
and meaningful information.
Rapport – is an understanding between two or
more people.
2. Gathering information on the client’s
developmental, psychological, physiologic,
sociocultural, and spiritual statuses*.
 Approaches:
1. Directive Interview
is highly structured and elicits
specific information.
The nurse establishes the
purpose of interview and controls
the interview.
 Approaches:

The client responds to questions but

may have limited opportunity to ask
questions or discuss concerns.
Nurses frequently use it to gather
and to give information when time is
limited.(e.g. in an emergency
situation)
 Approaches:
2. Nondirective interview
 or rapport building interview
 The nurse allows the client to control
the purpose, subject matter and
pacing.
 Types of interview questions:
1. Closed questions
 are restrictive and generally require
only “yes” or “no” or short factual
answers giving specific information.
Often begin with “when”, “where”,
“who”, “What”, “do(did, does),”or
“is(are, was).”
Types of interview questions:

Examples of Closed questions :

“What medication did you take?”
“ Are you having pain now?”
“How old are you?”
“When did you fall?”
 Types of interview questions:
2. Open-ended Questions
specifies only the broad topic to be discussed,
and invites answers longer than one to two
words.
May begin with “what” or “how”
Examples: “How have you been feeling
lately”. “What brought you to the hospital”.
“What would you like to talk about today?”
 Types of interview questions:
2. Neutral Questions
 is a question the client can answer without
direction or pressure from the nurse
Is open ended
Is used in nondirective interviews.
Examples: “How do you feel about that?”
“Why do you think you had the operation?”
 Types of interview questions:
3. Leading Questions
 closed
Gives the client the opportunity to decide
whether the answer is true or not.
 creates problems if the client, in an effort to
please the nurse, gives inaccurate responses.
This can result in inaccurate data
Examples: “You’re stressed about surgery
tomorrow, aren’t you?” “You will take your
medicine, won’t you?”
 Interview is influenced by:
1. Time
Interviews should be planned
• when the client is physically
comfortable and free of pain
• When interruptions by friends,
family and other health
professionals are minimal.
 Interview is influenced by:
• The client should be made to feel comfortable and
unhurried.
2. Place – a well lighted, well ventilated,
moderate-sized room that is relatively
free of noise, movements, and
interruptions encourages
communication.
 Interview is influenced by:
3. Seating Arrangement*
 When a client is in bed, the nurse can
sit at a 45-degree angle to the bed.*
 The parties sit on two chairs placed at
right angles to a desk or table or a few
feet apart
 Interview is influenced by:
 with no table between, creates a less
formal atmosphere, and the nurse and
client tend to feel on equal terms.
 On initial interview, a client may feel
less confronted if there is an over bed
table between the client and the nurse
 Interview is influenced by:
 Sitting on a client’s bed hems the
client in and makes staring difficult
to avoid.
 Interview is influenced by:
4. Distance
 Accepted distance between individuals
in conversation varies with ethnicity.
It is about 8 to 12 inches in arab
countries, 18 inches in the US, 24 inches
in Britain, 36 inches in Japan.
 Interview is influenced by:
 Most people feel comfortable maintaining a
distance of 2 to 3 feet
Direct eye contact increases the need for
space. In east asian and Scandinavian
countries, direct eye contact is considered
disrespectful.
 Interview is influenced by:
5. Language
 Failure to communicate in language the client
can understand is a form of discrimination.
Complicated medical terminology must be
converted into common English.
 Phases of interview
1. Introductory
2. Working Phase
3. Summary and closing
Phase
 Phases of interview
1. Introductory
Purposes:
a. Establish rapport – is a process
of creating goodwill and trust.
Begin with a greeting or a self introduction
accompanied by nonverbal gestures such as
smile, a handshake, and a friendly manner.
 Phases of interview
b. Orientation
 Explain the purpose and nature
of the interview
 What information is needed
 How long will it take
 What is expected of the client
 Example:
Step 1 – Establish rapport
Nurse: Hello, Ms. Aquino. I’m Ms. Fellows.
I’m a nursing student, and I’ll be assisting
with your care here.
Client: Hi. Are you a student from the
University of the Cordilleras?
 Example:
Nurse: Yes, I’m in my final year. Are you
familiar with the campus?
Client: Oh yes! I also graduated there in
2000.
Nurse: That’s great!
 Example:
Step 2 - Orientation
Nurse: May I sit down with you here for
about 10 minutes to talk about how I can
help you while you’re here.
Client: All right. What do you want to know?
 Example:
Step 2 - Orientation
Nurse: Well, to plan your care after your
operation. I’d like to get some information
about your normal daily activities and what
you expect here in the hospital. I’ll take notes
while we talk to get the important points and
have them available to the other staff who will
also look after you.
 Example:
Step 2 - Orientation
Client: OK, that’s all right with me.
Nurse: If there is anything you don’t want to
talk about, please feel free to say so, and if
there is anything you would rather I didn’t
write down, just tell me.
Client: Sure, that will be fine.
 Phases of interview
2. Working phase:
 The nurse listens, observe cues and uses critical
thinking skills to interpret and validate
information received from the client.
 The nurse and client collaborate to identify the
client’s problems and goals.
The nurse elicits client’s comments about:
 Biographic data
 Reasons for seeking care
 History of present illness
 Past medical History
 Family history
 Review of body systems
 Lifestyle and health practices
 Developmental level
 Phases of interview
2. Summary/ Closing phase:
 The RN terminates the interview when the needed
Information has been obtained
 In some cases the client terminates it when deciding
not to give any more information or when the client is
unable to offer more info for some other reason
- fatigue for example.
 Phases of interview
2. Summary/ Closing phase:
 The RN summarizes the info obtained
during the working phase and validates
problems and goals with the client
 She identifies and discusses possible
plans to resolve the problem.
 The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:

1. Offer to answer question:

“Do you have any question?”
“I would be glad to answer any
questions you have.”
Be sure to allow time for the person
to answer, or the offer will be regarded
as insincere.
The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:

2. Conclude by saying “well, that’s all I

need to know for now” or “Well those
are the questions I have for now.”

Preceding a remark with the word

“well” signals that the end of the
interaction is near.
The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:

3. Thank the client. “Thank you for

your time and help. The questions
you have answered will be helpful
in planning your nursing care.”
The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:
4. Express concern for the person’s
welfare and future.
“Take care of yourself.”
“I hope all goes well with you.”
 The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:
5. Plan for the next meeting, if there
is or state what will happen next.
Include the day, time, place, topic
and purpose.
“Ms. Sy, I will be responsible for giving you
care 3 mornings per week while you are here, I will
be in to see you each Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday from 7am to 3pm”
 The following techniques are commonly
used to close an interview:
6. Provide a summary to verify accuracy
and agreement.
“Let’s review what we have covered in
this interview.”
 Communication During the
interview
1. Nonverbal Communication
- Appearance, demeanor, Facial
expression, Attitude strongly influence
how the client perceives the questions
you ask.
 Communication During the
interview
a. Appearance
- Be professional.
- Wear comfortable neat uniform with
nametag clearly visible.
 Communication During the
interview
b. Demeanor
- maintain a professional distance*.
- Display poise when entering the
room to interview a client. Do not
enter the room laughing loudly,
yelling to a coworker.
 Communication During the
interview
b. Demeanor
- Greet the client calmly and focus
your attention on her.
- Do not enter the room laughing
loudly, yelling to a coworker.
- Maintain a professional distance.
 Communication During the
interview
c. Facial Expression
- Keep a close check on facial
expression, because it often shows
what you are truly thinking.
- Keep your expression neutral and
friendly no matter what you think about a
client or what kind of day you are having.
 Communication During the
interview
d. Attitude
- One of the most important non verbal
skills to develop as a health care
professional is a non judgmental attitude*.
- Focus on health care and how you can
best help the client achieve the highest
possible level of health*.
Communication During the
interview
e. Silence
- Periods of silence allow you and
the client to reflect and organize
thoughts, which facilitates more
accurate reporting and data
collection.
Communication During the
interview
f. Listening
- is the most important skill to
learn and develop fully in order to
collect complete and valid data from
your client.
Communication During the
interview
- To listen effectively:
* maintain eye contact
* smile or display an open,
appropriate facial expression
* Maintain an open body position
(open arms and hands and
lean forward)
Communication During the
interview
- To listen effectively:
* Keep an open mind
* Avoid crossing your arms,
sitting back, tilting your head
away from the client, looking
blank or inattentive.
Communication During the
interview
- To listen effectively:
* Keep an open mind
* Avoid crossing your arms,
sitting back, tilting your head
away from the client, looking
blank or inattentive.
 Communication During the
interview
2. Verbal Communication
a. Open ended questions
b. Closed ended questions
c. Laundry list
- Providing the client with a choice
of words to choose from in describing
symptoms, conditions or feelings.
 Communication During the
interview
Example: “Is the pain severe, sharp,
mild, cutting?”
d. Rephrasing- helps the RN
clarify info the client has
stated. It enables the RN and
the client to reflect on what
was said.
 Communication During the
interview
Example:
Your client, Mr. G.,tells you that he has
been really tired and nauseated for 2
months and that he is scared because he
fears that he has some horrible disease.
Rephrase info: “You are thinking that you
have a serious illness?
 Communication During the
interview
e. Well-paced phrases:
-If the client is in the middle of
explaining a symptom, or feeling and
believes that you are not paying attention,
you may fail to get all the necessary info.
- Listen closely to the client during his
description and use phrases such as
“um-hum,” “Yes” or “I agree”.
 Communication During the
interview
f. Inferring
Example: Your client, Mrs. J. tells you that she has bad
pain. You ask where the pain is and she says “My
stomach.” You notice the client has a hand on the right
side of her lower abdomen and seems to favor her entire
right side.
Nurse: “It seems you have more difficulty with the right
side of your stomach”.*
 Communication During the
interview
g. Providing information
- Make sure you answer every question as
well as you can.
- If you do not know the answer, explain that
you will find out for the client.
 Non Verbal Communication
to avoid
1. Excessive or insufficient eye contact
- Avoid extremes in eye contact
- It is best to use minimal eye contact.
- e.g. establish eye contact when the
client is speaking to you but look down
at your notes from time to time.
 Non Verbal Communication
to avoid
2. Distraction and distance
3. Standing
 Verbal Communication
to avoid
1. Biased or leading questions
2. Rushing through the interview
3. Reading the questions
Communication during interview
• Listen attentively using all your senses,
speak slowly & clearly.
• Use language the client understands &
clarify patients that are not understood
• Plan questions to follow a logical
sequence.
• Ask only 1 question at a time. Double
questions limit the client to 1 choice
& May confuse both the client and the nurse.
•Allow the client the opportunity & look at
things the way they appear to him or her &
not the way they appear to the nurse or
someone else.
•Do not impose values on the client.
•Avoid using personal examples such as
saying ”If I were you……
• Nonverbally convey respect & concern
interest & acceptance.
• Use & accept silence to help the client
search for more thoughts or to organize
them.
• Use eye contact, & be calm, unhurried &
sympathetic.