Nursing and Midwifery interview guidance
Preparing for your interview
Observe the world around you
What stories and events are currently influencing healthcare? What’s your opinion on the latest news?
Do your research
Could you meet the expectations? Use this exercise as a chance to reflect on your own character. Remember this might not be a career with regular hours!
Familiarise yourself with the NHS
The NHS values underpin the key attributes of all healthcare professionals. Consider your previous relevant experience and think about how you can demonstrate them. Read the NHS constitution.
Have your documents ready
If you need to show any documents, they will be listed in your email from admissions. Make sure you have them to hand familiarise yourself again with your all-important personal statement!
Plan some questions
Remember this is your chance to find out about us too – so talk to us when you get the chance!
What are you going to wear?
Try to dress smartly. We want to see that you appreciate and respect that you’ll have to adhere to a dress code both on placement and once you enter the workplace as a qualified professional.
What to expect: Nursing
The interview process will consist of an interview with a member of nursing academic staff who, on occasion, will be joined by a member of staff from a Trust partner or by a service user.
As part of the interview process you are likely to be asked to discuss a scenario from practice. Your observations and understanding of these scenarios will be scored alongside additional questions related to patient care and the values of the nursing profession. This will help us decide whether to offer you a place to study Nursing with us.
Interviews are designed to help us to assess not only your communication and comprehension skills, but also your understanding of the role of the nurse.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have applied for multiple nursing courses you will only have ONE interview during which you will be assessed for all courses/fields you have applied to.
We recommend that prior to your interview that you check your wifi connection and IT equipment are working correctly.
Have a drink to hand and your ID. Good luck!
What to expect: Midwifery
You are required to participate within multiple mini-interview (MMI) style stations, some of which are scenario based questions. This format is used to assess qualities such as cultural sensitivity, maturity, teamwork, empathy, reliability and communication skills.
You must demonstrate evidence of literacy, numeracy and IT skills, in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council requirements. These are assessed by qualifications as set out in your applications and by your engagement with the online MMI interview process.
Our multiple mini-interview style selection process draws on the value-based selection processes often used by the NHS to recruit staff. We will be looking at you as a person, your values, your communication and problem-solving skills. We won't just be expecting you to know what the NHS 6Cs are, we'll be looking at how you demonstrate those 6 Cs within your responses to our scenarios.
Smile, make eye contact with your interviewer, and try to relax and enjoy yourself. This is about selling yourself as a student and a potential midwife.
Remember practice makes perfect so do think about asking someone you trust to give you a ‘mock’ interview prior to the big day.
Have a drink to hand and your ID. Good luck!
PLEASE NOTE: if you apply for both the BSc (Hons) and the MSci in Midwifery, you will only be required to complete ONE interview.
