You see your nurse going through patient records to see where a patient lives for her own personal interest, what do you do?

Interviewers like to ask these scenario questions to see how you would act, but also to see if you can act professionally. It is vital that you understand that the nurse's behaviour violates one of the key GDC principles and this can lead to mistrust in the dentist. Not only is this harmful for the patient, but this also compromises the nurse's job as their 'fitness to practise' will have to assessed, possibly leading to the nurse losing their job.

Although the nurse is being unprofessional, it is important for you to approach this situation calmly and take the necessary actions.

What not to do:

• Confront the nurse aggressively and in front of everyone
• Ignore the situation
• Inform other colleagues with the intention to gossip about it

What you should do:

• Approach the nurse in private and explain that their actions are inappropriate
• Inform your supervisor or dental practise manager
• Ensure that you comply with any data breach protocols

Suggested structure for this answer:

• Clarify to the interviewer why the nurse is in the wrong
• Explain that you will talk to the nurse about this privately and will have to report her behaviour to a senior colleague
• Report the incident
• You want to also reflect on the situation- Why was the behaviour inappropriate? What are the implications of breaching confidentiality?