How to Prepare for UK NHS Nursing Interviews (2025 Sample Questions)

Landing a nursing role within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is a fantastic career goal, but the interview process can feel daunting. This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly how to prepare for your NHS nursing interview in 2025, complete with sample questions, scoring insights, and powerful strategies to help you stand out.

Why NHS Nursing Interviews Are Unique

NHS interviews are typically competency-based (also known as values-based or structured interviews). This means they are designed to assess not just your clinical knowledge, but also your alignment with the NHS Constitution and the core NHS Values: Working Together for Patients, Respect and Dignity, Commitment to Quality of Care, Compassion, Improving Lives, and Everyone Counts.

Your answers must demonstrate these values through real-life examples, often using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Context, Action, Result) technique.

Step 1: Deep Research – The Foundation of Success

1. Understand the Trust: Go beyond a basic website browse. Read their latest Annual Report, Quality Account, and CQC report. Note their strategic priorities for 2025 (e.g., digital transformation, reducing health inequalities, workforce wellbeing).

2. Know the Job Description (JD) and Person Specification (PS) Inside Out: Every question will link back to these. Map your skills and experiences to each “Essential” and “Desirable” criterion. The PS is your answer blueprint.

3. Master the NHS Landscape for 2025: Be prepared to discuss current priorities:

• The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and its implications for nursing.
• Digital advancements (e.g., electronic patient records, virtual wards).
• Emphasis on preventative care and community-based services.
• Challenges like waiting lists and staff retention.

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Step 2: Mastering the Core Competency Areas & 2025 Sample Questions

Here are the most common competency themes, updated for the 2025 context, with sample questions.

1. NHS Values & Compassionate Care

• “Tell us about a time you demonstrated compassion to a patient or their family under difficult circumstances. (Use STAR)”
• “How would you ensure a patient’s dignity and respect are maintained during a personal care procedure?”
• “What does ‘Everyone Counts’ mean to you in your daily nursing practice?”

2. Clinical Skills & Knowledge (Role-Specific)

• “Walk us through how you would recognise and escalate a deteriorating patient (linking to the NEWS2 chart).”
• “Describe your experience with [a specific piece of equipment or procedure relevant to the role, e.g., complex wound care, IV administration, mental health de-escalation].”
• “How do you ensure your clinical practice is evidence-based and up-to-date?”

3. Teamwork & Communication

• “Give an example of a time you had a conflict or disagreement within your multidisciplinary team. How did you resolve it?”
• “How would you explain a complex treatment plan to a patient with low health literacy?”
• “Describe a time you had to advocate for a patient. What was the situation and outcome?”

4. Safety & Quality Improvement

• “Tell us about a time you identified a potential safety risk and what actions you took.”
• “What does ‘commitment to quality of care’ mean in practical terms on your shift?”
• “Have you ever been involved in a clinical audit or improvement project? What was your role?”

5. Resilience, Pressure & Situational Judgement

• “Describe a time you worked under significant pressure. How did you prioritise and manage your stress?”
• “How would you handle a situation where you were asked to work outside your competency level?”
• “A colleague is consistently arriving late, increasing your workload. What would you do?”

6. Scenario-Based Questions (Increasingly Common in 2025)

• “You are a newly qualified nurse on a busy ward. You notice a senior colleague has made a medication error but has not reported it. What do you do?”
• “A patient with dementia is becoming increasingly agitated and refuses to take their medication. How would you approach this?”

Step 3: The Interview Day – Strategies for Success

Before:

• Prepare 5-7 strong STAR examples that cover multiple competencies.
• Plan your journey, attire (professional), and pack copies of your CV, JD, PS, and a notepad.
• Prepare 2-3 insightful questions to ask them. E.g., “What are the biggest challenges facing this specific ward/department currently, and how can the person in this role help address them?” or “What opportunities are there for professional development and mentorship here?”

During:

• Listen carefully. It’s okay to pause and think before answering.
• Structure every answer with STAR: Keep it concise (2-3 minutes max).
• Focus on “I,” not “we.” Be clear about your specific actions and reflections.
• Link back to NHS Values explicitly.
• Show enthusiasm and a patient-centred mindset.

After:

• Send a brief, polite email thanking the panel for their time, reiterating your interest.

Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice

1. Write it out: Script your STAR answers initially.
2. Say it aloud: Practice with a timer. Record yourself to check for clarity and conciseness.
3. Mock Interview: Do a full mock interview with a friend, mentor, or career advisor. Get feedback on your content and body language.

Final Checklist for Your NHS Nursing Interview in 2025

• Researched the specific NHS Trust and department.
• Memorised the 6 NHS Core Values.
• Analysed the Job Description & Person Specification.
• Prepared STAR/CAR examples for all key competencies.
• Researched current NHS topics (Long Term Plan, digital care).
• Prepared insightful questions to ask the panel.
• Completed a mock interview.

Conclusion: Your Path to Success

Preparing for an NHS nursing interview is about more than reciting clinical facts. It’s about proving you embody the values that make the NHS unique. By combining thorough research, structured examples (STAR), and a genuine passion for patient-centred care, you will demonstrate you are the competent, compassionate, and collaborative professional they are looking for.

Good luck! You’ve trained for this—now go and show them why you’ll be an asset to their team.