How do I deal with difficult questions?

Difficult questions probably fall into two categories: those to which you do not know the answer and those that you are not sure how to answer. The first type is probably relatively easy to deal with. Being honest and telling the questioner that you do not know the answer is the best response. Trying to bluff an answer is fraught with difficulty, as it is always likely that you will be caught out. Many newly qualified staff nurses perceive that other people expect them to ‘know everything’ because they are qualified, regardless of the length of their experience (Lathlean, 1987; Shand, 1987; Power, 1996; Charnley, 1999; Whitehead 2001). It is also clear that this phenomenon is not restricted to the UK (Cowin and Hengstberger-Sims, 2006). However, it is unreasonable to expect anyone to know the answer to all the questions that may be asked. There should be no shame in