Help me with NHS interview

[firsttimemomma93]

Hi all, can anybody who works for the nhs give me some tips on interview questions please? It's for a nursing assistant band 2. TIA

I had an nhs interview in Summer 2021 for this position. I applied to dementia ward (had 1 years experience in domiciliary homecare) but got interviewed by sisters of diabetic and renal failure wards alongside HR, who were lovely but had no vacancies on their wards at time. I was not pre warned no one from elderly ward would show up.

They asked what I’d do if a patients family wanted to dispute their treatment and were not happy about their care/diagnosis.

How to deal with confidentially largely.

I got offered a role within hours but despite the hype of HCA at the time, heard it was bank work only which reminded me of all the rubbish that went on as zero hours in ‘elderly homecare’. Later when I was in hospital myself I heard it would have been ok.

Hi, NHS manager here, non-nursing.
Take time to read over the person specification (should be attached to the job advert) and make notes on the skills and experience you have that demonstrate how you match the criteria.
Questions are often scenario based e.g. what would you do if a patient/family member did X...? tell us about a time where you handled a difficult situation...
I'd imagine they are trying to gage if you recognise your own limitations and want to know that you would seek support from qualified/more senior staff if a problem arose that was beyond your band/job role.
Look at the hospital website and take note of their values and behaviours. They will often include a question that relates to this.
Most importantly be yourself, show your enthusiasm and don't panic. Take time to listen to the questions and answer them to the best of your ability, don't be frightened to ask them to repeat a question or explain it if you didn't hear/don't understand.
Good luck!

Have you done nursing assistant type roles before?
if not think about how you would handle certain situations such as a patient looking unwell or abnormal observations.
Think about things like dignity and how you would want to be treated yourself.
Look at the hospital (if it is hospital) website to get a feel for the place and look at the values they have.
Why you want the job and what you can bring to it.
I can’t think of much else off the top of my head but good luck

Thanks! 😊 How long was the interview? What did you answer to those questions?

@R00tat00tt00t
Thanks so much! All of that is really helpful information! Do you know if the interview is based on a point scoring system? Or just the overall interview itself ? ☺️

Know the trust values - they always ask a question on that.

Also when I interviewed for HCA post last year I got asked about what I would do if I found medications in a patients handbag and the patient confided in me that they had been taking their own medications but asked me not to tell anyone. Also got asked what I would do if another HCA asked me to do something in a different way to what I had been taught to do. I got offered the job on the spot, they seemed totally desperate, they asked me there and then what ward I wanted etc. I didn't take the job in the end.

@QueenCremant thank you for that! 😊Some good points you've mentioned! no I've not done any nursing assistant/hospital type role before, Ive got experience working in a different care setting though.

@Babyroobs thank you! Yeah that can be quite off-putting knowing they are desperate! Do you do similar type work now?

questions that often come up are

can you describe a time when you worked well as a team?

how do you manage stress?

how would you manage a difficult situation with a colleague?