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Student Health Visitor Interview!!

1000 replies

chewie29 · 16/04/2012 14:56

Hi all.
I am currently a staff nurse on maternity leave and I have been very lucky, I have managed to get an interview for a Student Health Visitor Post tomorrow. Has anyone any advice they can give me for the actual interview? I am stressing as it is something I have wanted to do for a long time! I have send by little man over to his nans this afternoon so I can concentrate, I have just been getting more stressed as the day goes on. I have been preparing for the interview for some time but I'm worried my nerves will ruin it for me! Any advice or tips would be great. Thank you.

OP posts:
you · 17/04/2012 09:40

No idea but good luck! And will you come back and tell me how you got on please as I've just applied for the same post and am hoping I get to interview, have no idea the kind of thing they're likely to ask!

Woofsaidtheladybird · 17/04/2012 21:03

Oooh let us know how it goes! I'm a nurse, also on mat leave, and am thinking of doing the same thing! Not sure about doing a full time uni course fur a year tho, being paid a mid band 5 - am currently top band 7.....

you · 18/04/2012 09:10

I'm on mat leave too :) Do either of you know if I got the post if I would be able to delay it till sept 2013 as my mat leave shouldn't finish till early next year, or by applying am I committing myself to starting this year?

Woofsaidtheladybird · 18/04/2012 11:39

You - it wouldn't hurt to ask if you can defer a year. I'm due to go back end of August part time - if I don't go back I have to pay back my mat pay. I think this is NHS based rather than Trust based - so if I got an nhs salary elsewhere it should be ok..... I think??

you · 18/04/2012 14:20

Yes that's right, I was in that position with DD1 and didn't have to repay anything :)

Apparently I wouldn't be entitled to mat leave as such but I'm trying to get through to them ATM to ask about either deferring or studying part time :)

Woofsaidtheladybird · 19/04/2012 08:17

Chewie - how did it go? Ok I hope! Smile

HVApplicant · 25/04/2012 09:18

How did it go Chewie?

loftyjen · 26/04/2012 19:15

I'm marking my place as v interested in this - does anyone know how the course is formatted as I'd like to do this but am also beginning to think about having DC2 and stressing a bit thinking about childcare/finances (more on childcare with less income) and a child that doesn't even exist yet! Hoping I don't end up missing the boat as this is only standard family friendly hours nursing career I think I can do.

mosschops30 · 26/04/2012 19:26

Gutted i didnt see this earlier. I have just started my HV training this week Smile how did you get on?

lofty i think courses vary but you can do ours full or part time (37.5 or 18.5 per week)
On full time you do a five day week, some days practice, some days in uni and it varies a lot. The part timers are doing tues and weds this year, then 3 days a week next year.
You get paid your salary whilst training (so if youre a band 7 you get paid band 7).
There are 4 assignments, 2 exams plus a 4 hour prescribing exam. Lots of portfolio work too, each module requires a further 500 word or so written piece.

Anything else please ask Smile

chewie29 · 30/04/2012 15:25

Hi,
Sorry for a late reply, I didn't think anyone had posted, I had a shock when I checked today.
I had the interview 2 weeks ago and have not heard anything back even though they said they would contact me at the end of last week. The interview wasn't too bad, although they were not the kind of questions I had prepared for. They asked questions about how to deal with conflict and asked about health promotion, current government initiatives, how I would cope with the course, things like that. They also showed a DVD and there were questions about that afterwards. I very much doubt I have got it as they have taken so long to contact me, just waiting for a letter to say 'sorry, not this time'.
I found out from an inside source that they were interviewing 90 for 30 places. I also applied to another trust but didn't get an interview, they had 400 applicants for 11 places!!
It is a shame I've not got the student post as I have a conditional offer for the university to do the post graduate diploma route.
I will try again later in the year, hopefully it will be my time then.

OP posts:
lovechoc · 30/04/2012 15:42

There's still time to hear from them yet, chewie :) I am considering doing this course part time as I cannot see myself returning to nursing doing shift work again...I wouldn't be able to cope with full time hours either, so it seems part time would be my only option if I do go down the nursing route again (let my registration lapse in 2008 and had a career break since then).

Good luck with whatever happens - if there's a will there's a way!

chewie29 · 01/05/2012 16:11

I had an email today saying that I didn't get the post, as I thought. Ahh well, there is always next time.

OP posts:
lovechoc · 01/05/2012 18:53

Sorry to hear this, but there are always other options...you could always take a staff nurse post attached to the health visiting team. Next best thing, but without the same level of responsibility as a HV. Would give you a feel for whether you'd like to end up working as a HV.

tomvie · 01/05/2012 19:10

Sorry to hear that you didn't get a place. Keep trying though because lots of NHS trusts are offering sponsorship until 2015. I have got a place to start in September at Hertfordshire Uni which I am led to believe is 2 days at Uni and 2 days on placement with 1 days self study. Is there anyone that is on the course there this year that can give me more info on the timetable e.g what time the uni days start, what date the course starts and what books we need to buy.

TheLoveOfFood · 01/05/2012 22:30

Just sat the numeracy and literacy test today. Will get an email on the 10th May to hear if I make it through to the final round interview.

What topics were you asked at interviews mosschops and tomvie? Planning on trying to ask a couple of health visitors (in different NHS trusts) if I can shadow them for half a day or so.

On my reading list are; Working Together To Safeguard Children, Laming Report 2009, Healthy Child Programme 2009, and A Call To Action 2009.

Anyone else recommend anything else?

tomvie · 02/05/2012 14:48

I would recommend the HV implementation plan 2011 (what it is, what it means) Also research papers on HV ( eg Field, Allen, Tickle and Monroe). Every Child Matters 2010 and recent NHS reforms and what this may mean for HV. I could go on and on!! I read loads but not all came up in interview but it did mean I had a good understanding of what it all implies for HV. Shadowing is a good idea as they did ask me that at interview. The usual questions came up about what you can offer, why HV etc and about the HV plan. Good Luck.

darkandlovely · 10/05/2012 13:38

I sat the literacy and numeracy on the 24th of April, waiting to hear the outcome has anyone heard anything yet?

TheLoveOfFood · 17/05/2012 21:29

Got an email today, offering an interview on Wed.

They recommend reading the following:

The report of the Independent Review on Poverty and Life Chances. Frank Field, December 2010

Fair Society Healthy Lives, The Marmot Review. Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post-2010

The Health Visitor Implementation Plan

HVApplicant · 18/05/2012 09:13

What to wear to the interview? Thinking of clothes that would be worn on the job. Smart casual, wide leg trousers and wool knit polo neck.

sophsk · 25/05/2012 13:03

Thinking of applying too! How did your interview go TheLoveOfFood? What sort of questions did they ask you? I too am in the London area, so would be applying via London Deanery! Hope it all went well for you and anyone else who has had an interview :)

chewie29 · 03/06/2012 09:01

Hi
Just thought I would give you all an update. I have been offered a job as a community staff nurse working for the health visitors. It is just a temporary role but they have said they will offer me an interview for the health visiting course next time around and they will help me to prepare. They obviously can't guarantee that I will get a place on the course but they will do everything possible to help me.
This all came from the interview I went for, mentioned in my previous posts. They said that I was very close to being accepted and they are offering me and a few others this opportunity.
:-)

OP posts:
darkandlovely · 07/06/2012 23:56

@theloveoffood glad to hear that you are through to the interview stage I wasnt that fortunate, ope you did manage it well. Pls give us some fedback for the future thanks.

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TheLoveOfFood · 11/06/2012 17:27

"London Deanery are pleased to announce that an additional round of recruitment for Student Health Visiting for a September 2012 start will open on 1 June 2012."

New round of London recruitment link here

I'm not optimistic. I'm a good candidate on paper, but came across badly at interview. I did all the reading and research, but waffled at the interview. Was not dynamic, or decisive. With hindsight, I should of as they advise on their website practiced and had a bullet points on cue cards for the interview.

Q's & Topics that came up at interview:

What can you bring to Health Visiting as a profession?
Scenario about find a small child with a bruise on their arm. What would you do? (Safeguarding).
Give an example of outstanding/innovative practice in your clinical area.
Give an example of a conflict situation in your workplace and how you handled it.
Thinking about recent government policies. Give an example of how this could/will impact on Health Visiting.
How will you manage the course, both academic and clinical?

Re: Literacy & Numeracy test. I sat on the BBC GCSE revision sites for about two weeks, polishing up my basic skills.

Good-luck everyone.

TheLoveOfFood · 11/06/2012 17:30

Well done Chewie!

bubblesr · 12/06/2012 17:42

Sounds like I had the exact same interview as TheLoveOfFood.

I had my interview on Friday which went pretty terribly my nerves completely got the better of me!

Am pretty convinced that there is no way that I got in, but I was wondering if they would let me have another bash at it, if I reapplied in the new round of applications. Like you I am quite a strong candidate on paper and it is something that I have always aspired to be. I really want to be a HV!

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