D030 Interview Self-Assessment

D030 Interview Self-Assessment

Student Name

Western Governors University

D030 Leadership & Management in Complex Healthcare Systems

Prof. Name:

Date

D030 Interview Self-Assessment

Role and/or Title of the Interviewees

Interviewee One: Clinical Practice and Instructional Role

The first interviewee is responsible for overseeing the administration of ketamine within an outpatient clinical environment. Her role involves direct patient care, medication oversight, and adherence to clinical safety protocols. As a junior practitioner, she is in the early stages of developing leadership and administrative competencies while continuing to refine her clinical judgment. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she serves as a clinical instructor, contributing to the education and mentorship of nursing students. Her professional title is Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Instructor. At the time of the interview, she was also enrolled in a doctoral program, though the specialization of her doctoral studies was not discussed.

Interviewee Two: Air Medical Transport and Leadership Role

The second interviewee holds a senior position within the region’s largest Life Flight organization. Her role encompasses high-acuity patient transport, emergency rescue operations, and coordination of interfacility transfers. She also plays a critical role in training and mentoring flight crews, ensuring preparedness for complex and unpredictable clinical scenarios. In addition to her operational responsibilities, she serves as a clinical instructor. Her professional designation is Life Flight Nurse, RN-BSN, and she is recognized as an experienced and highly competent practitioner within her specialty.

Summary of Interviewee Roles and Titles

Perceptions of the Interview Experience

Overall Reflections on the Interview Process

My overall perception of the interview experience was positive, though I recognized limitations related to the scope of leadership exposure. I found myself wishing for access to individuals in more formal nursing executive roles, as this would have allowed for deeper exploration of system-level decision-making and strategic leadership. Despite this limitation, both interviewees provided valuable insight into advanced clinical leadership roles within nursing practice.

Observations of Professional Dynamics

A notable dynamic emerged during the interviews due to existing professional relationships. Both interviewees serve as clinical instructors within the same department where I am employed, and in a limited administrative capacity, I function as their supervisor. However, each interviewee holds substantial professional responsibility and expertise that exceeds my current scope of practice. This contrast highlighted the complexity of leadership hierarchies in healthcare and reinforced the distinction between positional authority and professional influence.

Challenges Encountered During the Interviews

Scheduling and Logistical Barriers

The primary challenge encountered was coordinating interview schedules. All participants were employed full-time, making it difficult to identify mutually available meeting times. This required flexibility and extended the interview process beyond my original expectations.

Variability in Experience and Communication Confidence

Differences in professional experience presented an additional challenge. The Family Nurse Practitioner, being early in her leadership and instructional career, demonstrated less confidence and required additional prompting to expand on her responses. In contrast, the Life Flight Nurse responded with confidence and ease, drawing upon extensive clinical and leadership experience. Adjusting my interview technique to accommodate these differences required adaptability and increased engagement during the interview process.

Transcription and Data Organization

A further challenge involved refining the interview transcripts. Transforming conversational dialogue into a structured narrative that aligned with assignment requirements was time-intensive. However, this process ultimately enhanced clarity and allowed key themes to emerge more distinctly.

Future Strategies for Interview Preparation and Implementation

Refinement of Interview Questions

In future interviews, I would prioritize the development of more targeted and advanced questions. After reviewing peer examples, it became evident that questions addressing executive-level responsibilities—such as budget management, policy development, theoretical contributions, research involvement, and scholarly publication—would yield richer data. Preparing more focused questions would strengthen the depth and relevance of future interviews.

Improved Documentation and Transcription Methods

Although the interview environment was supportive and professional, I would consider using closed-captioning or transcription software in future projects. This approach would improve transcription accuracy, reduce time spent on editing, and allow greater focus on qualitative analysis and reflection.

Conclusion

The interview process offered meaningful insight into diverse nursing leadership roles while also revealing opportunities for improvement in interview design and execution. The challenges encountered contributed to professional growth and will inform future qualitative research and leadership development efforts.

References

American Nurses Association. (2023). Nursing leadership and management competencies. American Nurses Association Publishing.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Finkelman, A. (2020). Leadership and management for nurses: Core competencies for quality care (4th ed.). Pearson.

Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.