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Although there's no way of knowing which questions you'll be asked on the day, you can prepare by exploring possible interview questions and rehearsing how you would answer them.

This page explores common interview questions and how to answer them, techniques for structuring your answers, and over 80 sample questions to help you practice.

Personal qualities and nursing ethos

Why do you think you're a good nurse, and how can you evidence this?

If others could describe you in three words, what would they be?

How would your colleagues describe you?

What motivates you to work hard?

How do you demonstrate advocacy?

What personal qualities do you think are necessary for this role?

What are your strengths / What are your weaknesses?

 

Nursing Initiatives

Tell us about the 6 C's;

What does compassionate care mean to you and how do you deliver it?

Which one of the 6 C's do you think is the most important and why?

Tell us about a nationwide nursing initiative that you're interested in or passionate about.

Tell us about an article you read recently that relates to [relevant clinical area]

 

Teamwork

How do you demonstrate teamwork?

Tell us about a time when you worked well within a team.

What does good teamwork mean to you?

What could you bring to this team?

Give an example of a situation where you have collaborated with the multidisciplinary team.

Communication skills

Why is communication important within a team?

What does good communication look like to you?

Describe a situation where you've had to deal with a difficult patient / relative / colleague.

Give an example of when you've had to overcome a communication barrier.

What would you do if you disagreed with a doctor?

 

Problem solving and using initiative

Give an example of when you've used your initiative.

Give an example of when you identified a solution to a problem.

How can you contribute to the improvement of the organisation?

Describe a time when something didn't go to plan. What did you do?

 

Quality of care

How do you ensure you provide high quality care?

What makes a good shift?

What is the definition of good care to you?

 

Leadership

How would you ensure you acted as a role model?

How would you help to create a learning environment?

How do you support your colleagues?

Describe a situation when you had to make a difficult decision.

Tell us about a time when you used your leadership skills to handle a situation.

What kind of leader are you?

 

Dealing with challenges

Describe a time when you've had to manage professional differences in the workplace.

Describe an emergency situation and how you dealt with it.

Give an example of a challenging situation and how you overcame it.

How do you handle pressure/stress?

How would you deal with a challenging relative?

Give an example of a time you were asked to do something you were not qualified/trained to do. What happened? 

 

Policy and process

What is Clinical Governance?

What is safeguarding?

How do you ensure good infection control measures?

What would you do if you spotted a mistake?

 

Professional development

What have you done to professionally develop?

How have you kept your knowledge and skills up to date?

What are you most proud of in your nursing career to date?

What is person-centred care?

How do you prioritise your workload?

Give an example of when you've acted with compassion.

Give an example of when you went above and beyond.

How do you cope in an emergency?

How do you keep calm in stressful situations?

What is your understanding of consent / confidentiality / safeguarding?

What frustrates you?

What does team work mean to you, and why is it important?

Give an example of when you've worked well within a team

What does equality and diversity mean to you?

What skills do you have to offer?

What are your strengths/weaknesses?

Give us an example of when you've promoted dignity.

 

Scenario based questions

What would you do if a nurse gave you medication to give to a patient?

What would you do if a patient told you they were being abused?

What would you do if asked to operate against manual handling protocols?

What would you do if a patient in your care refused to eat / wash?

A patient keeps ringing the buzzer in the middle of the night, what do you do?

How would you deal with a difficult patient / relative?

What would you do if you identified that a colleague had made a mistake?

Leadership

What are your strengths and weaknesses in terms of leadership?

What type of leader are you?

What makes a good manager?

Describe a project where you had to use different leadership styles to reach your goal.

How do you demonstrate the NHS values in your leadership?

Quality and Improvement

Discuss an improvement to the service you have implemented.

Give an example of when you've improved performance.

How would you set up an audit programme?

Communication

Give an example of when you've had to deliver bad news to colleagues.

Give an example of when you used your negotiation skills.

How would you deal with colleagues with strong characters and/or confrontation?

People management

How you would deal with poor performance?

How would you manage long-term and short-term sickness? Discuss the affect this will have on the team

How would you manage a discontented team member?

How do you motivate others?

How would you deal with colleagues with strong characters and/or confrontation?

Change and influence

How would you handle change management?

Give an example of when you’ve had convince a colleague to do something they don't want to.

How would you ensure those people you are responsible for can adapt to an ever changing NHS/business?

What are the principles of change management within the NHS?

Resilience

Give us an example of when something didn't go your way. What did you do and how did you overcome this?

How do you handle pressure?

How do you ensure your team's wellbeing?

Vision and strategy

What changes would you make if you came to this role? 

What would you do in the first week / month / year / 5 years?

What ideas do you have to improve the team/service/department?

What would you like to see if you are successful? 

The STAR technique

The STAR technique (Situation, Target, Action, Result) is a really good model to use to make sure your answers are concise, relative and structured.

For example, "Describe an unpopular decision you had to make." 

Situation: When I was first appointed as ward sister, I identified gaps in the staffing levels and skills mix. I needed to implement changes to the rota but knew the team would be very resistant to change.

Target: My aim was to make sure staffing levels were safe and that the ward was managed effectively, along with getting the team on board with the change.

Action: Before I made any changes I coordinated a meeting with my team and staff side reps so we could all discuss the matter. I gave a really clear explanation of why I was making the change, emphasising how it was in the interests of safety for both patients and staff. I balanced being assertive with seeking their views and feedback. I proposed two possible shift patterns and asked them to vote on which one they preferred.

Result: After I implemented the new shift pattern, staffing and skill mix were improved. The team felt better about the change because I'd taken their views on board, and backed up my proposal with reasons and evidence so they could understand the need for the change. They felt heard, included and also empowered choosing the option they preferred, which felt like more of a compromise. I think this aligns with the organisation's core behaviours of 'valuing staff,' and 'respect.'

Action words

Try using "action words" in your answers and examples where possible. Attention-grabbing terms like 'identified', 'created,' or 'initiated,' can really demonstrate to an employer how you are able to put your skills into practice.

Action words are specific, clarify your contribution or achievement, and project a more powerful, confident tone. They can also help demonstrate or emphasise leadership skills.

Notice the difference between, "I did an audit, and was able to work out significant cost reductions," and, "I initiated and coordinated an audit, and identified significant cost reductions."

There are some more examples of action words below:

Advocated	Evaluated	Maximised
Analysed	Exceeded	Mobilised
Assessed	Fostered	Negotiated
Authorised	Fulfilled	Organised
Centralised	Generated	Redesigned
Chaired	Identified	Remodelled
Championed	Implemented	Represented
Consolidated	Incorporated	Restructured
Coordinated	Influenced	Shaped
Created	Initiated	Spearheaded
Cultivated	Integrated	Streamlined
Developed	Introduced	Strengthened
Devised	Led	Sustained
Established	Managed	Trained