Emotional Intelligence Flashcards
(16 cards)
Tell us about yourself (personal/professional)
My name is Rana Zayed, and I’ve had a nontraditional path into nursing—from biomedical engineering, to managing a senior living facility, to now working as a critical care float nurse across CVICU, CICU, NSICU, and MSTICU.
I’m a leader in the nursing community, serving as Education Co-Chair for the Greater Kansas City AACN Chapter, where I help organize our largest annual conference.
I’m someone who’s drawn to challenge. I’ve completed 13 full marathons, and I recently returned from a 3-week mountaineering expedition to Everest Base Camp.
I come from a big, close-knit family, and I’m now a mom myself—raising my son with a strong sense of curiosity and adventure.
I also volunteer with survivors of sexual assault and in low-resource medical settings, because I believe in showing up for people when it matters most.
Whether I’m climbing a mountain or caring for critically ill patients, I’ve learned that the spaces that stretch me are the ones that shape me.
At my core, I’m someone who builds bridges—between people, between challenge and growth, and between technical skill and human connection.
I’m grateful to be here today and excited for the opportunity to keep growing.
Each applicant at this interview is extremely intelligent, skilled, and qualified. What sets you apart?
You’re right, everyone here is a very strong candidate. What sets me apart is the range of roles I’ve taken on and the way I’ve grown into leadership in each one.
In biomedical engineering, I led healthcare system implementations that improved clinical workflows across the country. In senior living, I served as the executive director of a memory care facility, guiding staff and residents through the toughest days of the pandemic. And in the ICU, I’ve become a go-to resource—precepting, serving on hospital-wide committees, and leading continuing education efforts as the Education Chair of our local AACN chapter.
No matter the setting, I’ve stepped into unfamiliar spaces, adapted quickly, and earned the trust of those around me. I’m someone who grows through challenge, seeks out purpose, and leads with both grit and compassion. That mindset has carried me through each career—and it’s what I’ll carry with me into nurse anesthesia.
How do you deal with stress?
I start with self-awareness. When I feel stress building, I pause and ask myself: Why am I feeling this? What’s driving it? What can I control right now? That reflection helps me respond with purpose rather than react emotionally.
In the ICU, I stay clear-headed and grounded, even when things are changing fast. I rely on clinical judgment, prioritize what matters most, and communicate clearly with the team.
Earlier in my career, I led a memory care facility during the height of COVID. That meant navigating constant uncertainty, protecting high-risk residents, and supporting a deeply overwhelmed staff. It taught me how to carry steadiness for others and lead with compassion under sustained pressure.
That same steadiness shows up outside of work. On a trip to Southern Patagonia, a friend and I got lost—18 miles off-trail in unfamiliar terrain. I’ll never forget her looking at me and asking, “What do we do?” I knew then my role was to stay calm, reorient us, and lead us out safely.
For me, stress isn’t something to fight—it’s something to move through with clarity, adaptability, and focus. I’ve come to trust my ability to stay grounded, no matter the circumstances.
Why do you want to be a CRNA?
I want to become a CRNA because it’s a role that brings together everything I value in patient care—clinical precision, critical thinking, and the ability to make a direct impact during some of the most vulnerable moments in a person’s life.
Reading Watchful Care, by Marianne Bankert, gave me an even deeper appreciation for the profession—not just its technical demands, but its history of resilience, autonomy, and advocacy. It gave me perspective on the generations of nurses who built this profession through perseverance and quiet leadership—and I hope to get the chance to carry that legacy forward.
Why is now the right time for you to pursue this career?
I’ve taken the time to explore different corners of healthcare—from engineering to leadership to bedside —and I’ve never felt more clear about where I belong. I’ve arrived here with intention, after growing through challenges that prepared me both clinically and personally. I’m ready to bring everything I’ve learned to a role that demands precision, presence, and purpose. I’m lucky to have a strong support system—especially my younger brother, Hadi, who’s in his anesthesia residency here at KU. Going through this journey alongside him has brought us even closer and made me feel all the more certain that this is where I’m meant to be.
What are you most proud of professionally?
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve stepped into entirely new fields—biomedical engineering, assisted living administration, bedside critical care—and grown from novice to leader in each one. I’m proud to be able to embrace steep learning curves, and come out stronger, by adapting, growing, and ultimately leading, in new territory.
I think to summarize that, I am most proud of my professional agility.
What do you enjoy doing?
I love being outside—whether I’m mountaineering, hiking with my husband and son, or sneaking in a solo trail run. I recently trekked to Everest Base Camp, and while the altitude was quite humbling at 18,000ft, the views (and yaks) made it worth every step.
I also love spending time with my big, loud, very close-knit family. I’m one of six siblings, and even when life pulls us in different directions, we always manage to show up for each other—usually with food and lots of opinions.
I love reading, listening to podcasts, and learning.
What do you like to do in your free time? Do you recognize that you will have to give that up for 3 years?
In my free time, I love being outdoors—hiking, mountaineering, or spending time with my husband, son, and siblings. I recently completed a trek to Everest Base Camp, which was an incredible experience both physically and mentally. I’m also passionate about traveling to remote, resource-limited settings to provide care and education. Working in high-altitude clinics during mountaineering expeditions has been especially meaningful—it’s a way to combine my love for the mountains with a deeper sense of purpose through service.
I absolutely recognize that CRNA school will require a temporary pause on many of these things. But I’m ready for that. The sacrifices feel worthwhile because this path aligns with who I am and the kind of impact I want to make. I’ve had seasons of adventure, family time, and fun trips—and now I’m ready to give this season to focused training. The mountains and group chats will be waiting for me on the other side.
Are you ready to be a novice again?
Absolutely. Some of the most meaningful growth in my life has come from being a beginner—from transitioning out of engineering into healthcare, to running a memory care facility with no roadmap, to stepping into the ICU float pool and adapting to the highest acuity settings. Each time, I started as a novice and came out more capable and more grounded in my purpose.
I actually love being a student—I sometimes joke that I’m a professional one. A CRNA I admire once recommended the book Make It Stick, and one line that stayed with me is that “effortful retrieval” is what makes learning last. That idea—that learning is supposed to feel challenging—completely resonated with me.
So yes, I’m ready to be a novice again. I don’t fear starting at the bottom—I know that’s where the deepest learning happens, and I’m excited for that kind of challenge in CRNA school.
Give me an example of a time where you faced a difficult situation, personal or professional. How did you handle it?
One of the most difficult situations I’ve faced professionally was stepping into long-term care administration with no formal background—just a vision. I had left a stable career in biomedical engineering to open an assisted living facility, and while the decision itself was daunting, the real challenge came in the day-to-day reality of building and running it—especially during a global health crisis.
I had to learn everything quickly: state regulations, staffing laws, clinical workflows. I wrote policies from scratch, navigated audits, trained a new team, and often worked 24/7—handling family concerns, medical events, staffing shortages, and licensing pressures. Then COVID-19 hit. Suddenly I was responsible for the safety of vulnerable residents and a terrified staff, with limited PPE and constantly changing guidance.
I handled it by staying deeply involved and adaptable—rewriting protocols overnight, sourcing PPE from hardware stores, reorganizing shifts to limit exposure risk, and emotionally supporting my team through some of the hardest moments of their careers.
It was the most demanding chapter of my life—but also the most formative. I learned how to lead through chaos, how to carry calm for others, and how to stay grounded in purpose when the path ahead is unclear. And it was during that time that I built strong relationships with my nurses—their compassion and clinical judgment ultimately inspired me to take the next leap: into nursing myself.
Tell me about a time that you were in a situation with poor teamwork. How did you handle it?
Sure. As Education Co-Chair for our AACN chapter, I help lead the planning for our biggest event of the year—a critical care conference in the spring that brings together nurses from all over the Kansas City area. This year, we had about 100 nurses attend. It’s a major undertaking, and most of the planning falls on the education chairs.
This year, my fellow co-chair was missing meetings and deadlines, which created tension and extra work for the rest of the team. I reached out to her privately—just to check in and share how it was affecting things. She admitted she was overwhelmed and appreciated the honesty.
I asked if she’d be open to having our chapter secretary—who had already expressed interest in helping—step in to take on some of her responsibilities. She was actually relieved, and the three of us met to get on the same page. After that, things ran much more smoothly.
If you were a song, what song would you be?
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
“I’d pick this because I genuinely live that mindset and it reflects how I approach a challenge—whether it’s climbing actual mountains, pushing through a tough shift, or juggling life as a working mom. I tend to take on things that feel big and chip away at them with consistency. I’ve climbed some big career paths.
What would you do with an extra hour of time in your day?
If I had an extra hour in my day, I’d spend it learning—whether that’s trying a new recipe, studying a new language, or reading something outside of medicine that challenges how I think. I’ve always believed that learning doesn’t just happen in formal settings—it’s a mindset. That extra hour would be a gift to keep growing in small, meaningful ways.
What kind of dog are you?
Steady, Trail-Tested Mutt: in THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. A mix of a few strong, scrappy breeds. I’ve had a mix of experiences that shaped me into someone adaptable, resilient, and extremely dependable. I know how to work hard, lead with heart, and stay steady when things get wild. Give me a purpose, a trail, and my people, and I’m good.
Weakness?
“I can be really hard on myself”
One of my weaknesses is being overly self-critical. If something doesn’t go perfectly, I tend to replay it in my head and second-guess myself. In critical care, I’ve learned that reflection is important—but so is grace and learning to move forward. I’ve gotten better at processing stressors or challenges in a more productive way and using them to improve without beating myself up.
