Practice Interview Questions

1. Tell us about yourself. What do you know about the hospital? Why do you want this job?
 Review hospital website
 Discuss your training/experience in university
 Positive attitude is essential / Enthusiasm
 Demonstrate eagerness to progress your career
 Why do you want to move to the UK (progression) & to the hospital in particular
(research the area & the hospital)
 Personality traits that make you a good nurse & why you believe the hospital can
offer you

2. What kind of nurse do you aspire to be? How do you think working in X will assure this?
 Career progression
 Clinical area (specialise)
 Nursing/patient contact
 Priority is to be a nurse who always puts the patient first, is honest & works with the
highest level of integrity

3. How would you respond to a doctor’s instruction to undertake a task you either are not
competent to do/have not completed before or you believe is not appropriate task for you
to complete?
 Never undertake a task you are not competent to do or are not able to do. Ask for
training in this area if is something you should be able to do or ask a
colleague/superior to complete the task if it is something that you cannot do.

4. How do you prevent pressure sores on a patient?

 Move the patient regularly (every two hours)
 Keep the patient hydrated & make sure they are eating
 Regular observations

5. A patient cannot speak, how do you communicate with them?

 Use sign language but make sure they understand
 White board/writing
 Relatives/next of kin can be used to interpret

6. Relatives/Next of kin of the patient is angry, how do you respond? Conflict in the
workplace?
 Listen to them/find out the root of the problem. Try to keep them calm, ask
questions. Go somewhere private & sitting the person/people down. Speak to a
senior member of staff if required.

7. What key attributes/characteristics do you think make a good nurse/what key

skills/personal qualities do you have to make you suitable for this role?
 Six Cs – care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.
 Patient Focused
 Communication
 Team Player
 Time management
 Flexible
 Professionalism
 Understanding
 Pro-active approach

8. What support do you think you will need in your first 3 to 6 months?
 DO NOT say an English course
 Orientation to the local area/information about location of the trust & Southampton
 Induction to the hospital
 Support from your team
 Training as required

9. What are the essentials of infection control & prevention?

 Hand hygiene/PPE/screening of high risk patients/do not sit on beds
 Staff and visitor control
 Infections
 High standard of environmental cleaning
 Ongoing education to patients, staff & visitors
 Infection control monitoring & reporting

10. As a registered nurse, what does compassion mean to you? How will you deliver
compassionate care to your patients?
 Communication
 Empathy
 Understanding

11. What are you most proud of in your nursing career to date?
 Even though some of them have been student nurses they will have moments they
are proud of, and we ask them to give an example of when they went above and
beyond for a patient. We want to hear a personal story and we want them to be
illustrating that they are kind, caring and compassionate, and that they are
prepared to do everything they possibly can to ensure safe and effective care.
 The stories can vary from nurse to nurse, but we will be able to hear and see if a
nurse has genuine pride in their work, and we’ll gain an understanding of what is
important to them.

12. What are the qualities of a good team?

 Communication
 Understanding of your role & the roles of others within the team
 Delegation
 Paperwork
13. What would your actions be if you administered a drug in error to the wrong patient?
 Speak to the doctor & nurse in charge immediately
 They will advise the next steps, in terms of speaking to patient & family/next of kin
of patient

14. What do you believe to be the main issues facing the NHS at the moment?
 Staff shortages
 Finance
 Economy/Brexit
 IELTs
 Aging Population

15. What does compassionate care mean to you and how do you deliver it?
 The hospital are looking for someone who wants to care. They can teach a nurse any
skill, with help from the internal team, but caring and compassion is inherent.
Answers often include kindness, empathy, treating the person as they would want
themselves or their family to be treated, listening to what it is the patient perceives
as the problem and addressing that issue.
 It is often good to ask a nurse if there has been a time they felt they were unable to
give compassionate care and explore their answers. This can give us a good insight
at interview. Examples staff have given include exhaustion, abnormally busy, low
morale, poor skill mix/staffing levels, poor teamwork, challenging or abusive patients
or relatives. Clearly they do not want this to be the norm for a nurse but understand
there may be barriers to giving compassionate care all the time. They are looking for
honesty and self-awareness. It is important to listen to what they say and how they
say it.

16. Tell us about a mistake you have been involved with

 Often they will talk about someone else’s mistake, not theirs. It’s good if they talk
about their mistake, what they’ve learned from it, what they’d do differently, how
they have changed their practice, how they have worked with others to change their
practice. Interviewers will be looking for how they use evidence in their practice and
how they learn from things.

17. What makes a good shift?

 The hospital want to hear about the delivery of safe, effective care, and they want it
to be documented and evidenced. They don’t want them to believe that high
numbers of staff always equates to the best care. Some days, you will be short, but
that doesn’t mean they are the worst shifts. It’s good when they say they know the
importance of breaks and having catch-up time with staff.

 There’s usually a question on resilience. They have to bear in mind that retention of
staff is difficult and they want to encourage nurses to stay in the profession.
Interviewers will want to know how they manage their time, cope with stress and
stay hydrated. The best answer would be about work-life balance.
18. What would others say about you in three words?
 This is an end-of-interview question. The hospital are looking for someone who is
self-aware, but also whether the three-word description matches the answers and
examples they have given to the other questions. Some possible answers could
include loyal, compassionate and fair; genuine, caring and professional; equitable,
passionate and reliable.

 The point of the question is to assess how effective the individual is in seeking
feedback and reflection, and whether they can articulate this in single words. Being
able to answer can demonstrate that you have the insight and maturity to seek the
opinions of others.

19. How would you handle a patient that constantly complains about pain?

There is bound to be a difficult patient so you need to know how to handle such a situation. Use your
past experience to show how you have previously overcame a similar circumstance.

"It all comes down to reassurance and proper care. This reminds me of a patient I had a few years
ago. She told me about the excruciating pain she was experiencing several times. My first thought
was to make sure we were doing our jobs right so I conferred with the attending doctor to ensure
the patient's pain was being managed in the most effective way possible. Then, I listened and
empathized with my patient while simultaneously reassuring her we were doing everything possible
to ease her discomfort."

20. How do you deal with stress on the job?

In the field of nursing, you can come across many obstacles that may be stressful. The interviewer
wants to gauge how you handle tense situations in a fast-paced environment. Show them that you
persevere in tough situations.

"I think knowing what the job entails and being prepared allows you to be better equipped when
stressful situations do arise. Honestly, a little stress is expected in our field. If I feel like I am getting
to the point of being stressed out, I will take a few deep breaths and remind myself why I got into
nursing in the first place. Although there may be a few trying moments here and there, the impact
nurses have on people's lives is well worth it."

21. What do you contribute to your patients?

Every nurse has a common job description, but you must possess something unique. This question
allows the interviewer to get a sense of what makes you stand out among the other job applicants.

"I want my patients to have the best experience possible and I consider that my sole responsibility. I
will go above and beyond to see to it that my patients are well taken care of. I believe dedication is
an integral part of being a successful nurse and providing the best care under any circumstances.
Also, I offer a listening ear that they can feel comfortable confiding in. As well as knowing I will
wholeheartedly advocate for them, if necessary."
22. What is the most difficult part of being a nurse?

This can be a tricky question to answer because you want to be honest and genuine, while still
showing that you love your job.

"I absolutely love being a nurse, but as with all jobs challenges will cross my path. The hardest part
of being a nurse is seeing a patient in pain or unhappy and being limited in the extent I can comfort
them. The reality is that as a professional I can only do so much. However, I realize this helps me so
that I do not become too emotionally invested in my patients."

QUESTIONS FOR INTEVIEWER

 Have 2/3 prepared.