Nurse Interview Questions and Answers (UK): NHS Values, Clinical Scenarios and Safeguarding

The questions UK nursing interview panels ask most, from values and the 6Cs to deteriorating patients, drug errors, safeguarding and prioritisation, with what interviewers look for and how to structure your answers.

By Tony Musso on Fri Oct 16 2026

Nurse interview questions in the UK fall into five groups: your values and motivation, clinical scenarios, safeguarding, prioritisation, and how you work in a team. NHS panels use values-based questions linked to the trust's own values, the NHS People Promise and the 6Cs of nursing. Private hospitals and care providers ask very similar questions, with more focus on the patient experience and their own standards.

Below are 16 questions panels commonly ask, with what they're looking for and a framework for each answer. Use real examples from your placements, healthcare assistant work or previous nursing roles. Panels want to hear what you did, not what a textbook says.

What a nursing interview usually involves

Most NHS nursing interviews are with a panel of two or three people, often the ward manager, a senior sister or charge nurse, and sometimes a matron or practice development nurse. Expect 30 to 45 minutes of questions. Some trusts also include:

• A numeracy or drug calculation test, especially for newly qualified nurses.
• A written or scenario task, such as prioritising a list of patients.
• A ward visit, which is a chance for you to judge the team as much as for them to judge you.

Before the interview, reread the job description, person specification and the supporting statement you wrote on NHS Jobs or Trac. Panels often build questions from it. Look up the trust's values, recent CQC report and anything the ward specialises in.

How to structure your answers: STAR

For "tell me about a time" questions, use STAR:

• Situation: where you were and what was happening, in one or two sentences.
• Task: what you needed to achieve.
• Action: what you personally did. This should be most of your answer.
• Result: what happened, and what you learned.

For "what would you do" scenario questions, talk through your thinking step by step: assess, act, escalate, document. Our guide to common interview questions and answers covers STAR in more depth.

Values and motivation questions

1. Why do you want to be a nurse?

What they look for: a genuine, specific reason, not "I've always wanted to help people".

Framework: one moment that made you choose nursing, one thing you've learned on placement or in work that confirmed it, and the kind of nurse you want to be.

2. Why do you want to work on this ward, and at this trust?

What they look for: evidence you've done your homework.

Framework: mention the specialty and why it interests you, a placement or experience that connects you to it, and something specific about the trust, such as its preceptorship programme, a service it's known for, or its values.

3. What are the 6Cs, and which matters most to you?

What they look for: that you know them and can link them to practice.

Framework: name them: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. Pick one and give a short real example. Courage, such as speaking up when something isn't right, is a strong choice because it's harder to show.

4. How do you show our trust values in your work?

What they look for: behaviour, not slogans. Learn the trust's values before the interview. Many trusts base theirs on the NHS Constitution values, such as respect and dignity, compassion, and everyone counts.

Framework: take two of their values and give a one-line example of each from your own practice.

5. Tell me about a time you made a difference to a patient.

What they look for: compassion, and that you notice what matters to the person.

Framework (STAR): for example, a confused patient who wouldn't eat (situation), finding out why (task), learning they were embarrassed about their dentures and arranging privacy and softer food (action), and their intake improving and the plan being added to their notes (result).

Clinical scenario questions

6. A patient you're caring for is deteriorating. What do you do?

What they look for: a systematic assessment and prompt escalation.

Framework: "I'd assess them using ABCDE, take a full set of observations and calculate their NEWS2 score. I'd start any immediate care I'm competent to give, such as sitting them up or giving oxygen if prescribed. I'd escalate to the nurse in charge and the doctor using SBAR, following the trust's escalation policy, and call the emergency team if they met the criteria. Then I'd increase observations and document everything."

7. You realise you've made a drug error. What do you do?

What they look for: honesty and patient safety first. This is a question where an honest answer always beats a defensive one.

Framework: "I'd check the patient straight away, assess for any harm and inform the nurse in charge and the doctor. I'd follow their instructions, report it through the trust's incident reporting system and document it. I'd make sure the patient was told, in line with the duty of candour, and I'd reflect on what happened with my manager so I could learn from it."

8. A patient refuses their medication. What do you do?

What they look for: respect for autonomy and knowledge of mental capacity.

Framework: find out why, explain the medication and the risks of not taking it, and consider whether there's a reason such as side effects or difficulty swallowing. If you have doubts about their capacity to decide, follow the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and involve the team. Document the refusal and inform the prescriber.

9. A patient develops diarrhoea and you suspect an infection. What do you do?

What they look for: infection prevention and control.

Framework: isolate the patient in a side room if possible, use the correct protective equipment, send a stool sample, and inform the nurse in charge and the infection control team. Mention handwashing with soap and water, because alcohol gel is not effective against C. difficile spores.

Safeguarding questions

10. What would you do if you suspected a patient was being abused?

What they look for: that you'd act, not ignore it, and follow the process.

Framework: "I'd make sure the patient was safe, listen without asking leading questions, and not promise to keep it secret. I'd report it to the nurse in charge and the trust's safeguarding team the same day, following the safeguarding policy, and document what I saw and what was said, using the patient's own words." Show that you know abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, financial, neglect or self-neglect, among other types.

11. What would you do if you were worried about a colleague's practice?

What they look for: courage and knowledge of how to raise concerns.

Framework: if a patient is at immediate risk, act to protect them first. Then raise it with the nurse in charge or ward manager. The NMC Code expects you to raise concerns, and if you didn't feel able to do it through your manager, you could speak to the trust's Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.

Prioritisation questions

12. You have a call bell going, a patient in pain, a relative wanting to talk and your drug round due. What do you do first?

What they look for: safe prioritisation and delegation.

Framework: first make sure nobody is in immediate danger. Ask a healthcare assistant to answer the call bell, or answer it yourself if no one else is free, so an emergency isn't missed. Then assess the patient in pain, because pain can signal deterioration. Explain to the relative when you'll come back to them, and keep time-critical medicines, such as insulin or Parkinson's medication, on schedule.

13. How do you manage your time on a busy shift?

Framework: describe your handover routine, how you plan around time-critical tasks, how you check in with the team and how you escalate when the workload isn't safe.

Teamwork and professional questions

14. Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague and how you handled it.

Framework (STAR): focus on how you stayed professional, spoke privately, kept patient care at the centre and found a resolution. Avoid criticising the colleague.

15. What is the NMC Code?

Framework: the professional standards for nurses and midwives, built around four themes: prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust. Give one example of how you apply one theme.

16. How do you look after your own wellbeing?

What they look for: that you'll stay well in a demanding job. The NHS People Promise includes "we are safe and healthy" and "we work flexibly".

Framework: what you do to switch off, how you use debriefs, supervision or support from colleagues after a difficult shift, and when you'd ask for help.

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Questions to ask the panel

Asking good questions shows you're thinking about the job in practice. Choose two or three:

• "What does your preceptorship programme involve, and how long does it last?"
• "What does the skill mix on a typical shift look like?"
• "What training could I do in my first year, such as cannulation or IV medicines?"
• "How does the ward support staff after a difficult shift?"
• "What opportunities are there to rotate or specialise later?"

Our guide to questions to ask at the end of an interview has more.

Band 5 and nurse pay

Newly qualified nurses in the NHS usually start at Band 5 on the Agenda for Change pay scale, and most trusts support you with a preceptorship programme in your first year. Under the 2025/26 pay scales in England, Band 5 started at £31,049. Inner and outer London and some surrounding areas also pay a high cost area supplement. Check NHS Employers for the current scale.

Our nurse career guide covers training routes, specialisms and progression, and mental health nurse is worth a look if that field interests you. For your application, see our nurse CV example. If you're currently a healthcare assistant thinking about nursing, the nursing degree apprenticeship lets you train while you work.

Not sure this is the right career for you? A good career test narrows the field before you commit to the training.