NHS INTERVIEW GUIDE

A&E Nurse Interview Questions: Band 5 and Band 6 Emergency Department Guide

The questions asked in emergency department nurse interviews, how to answer triage and prioritisation scenarios, a worked STAR answer and how to prepare.

Last updated 24 October 2026 · Created by a practising NHS doctor · Independent of the NHS

Quick answer

What questions are asked in an A&E nurse interview?

A&E nurse interviews usually ask why you want to work in emergency care, how you triage and prioritise, how you recognise and escalate deterioration, and how you handle crowding, aggression, safeguarding and mental health crises. Band 6 interviews add coordinating an area, patient flow and supporting juniors. Use STAR examples and describe a systematic approach such as ABCDE, early escalation and local policy.

Key takeaways

Show a systematic approach such as ABCDE.
Escalate early and follow local triage policy.
Mention reassessment of patients who are waiting.
Band 6 adds coordination, flow and leadership.
Prepare examples on aggression and safeguarding.

A&E nurse interviews usually ask why you want to work in the emergency department, how you prioritise and triage, how you recognise and escalate a deteriorating patient, how you manage a busy department, and how you handle aggression, safeguarding and mental health crises. Band 6 interviews add questions on coordinating an area, supporting juniors and patient flow.

This guide covers Band 5 and Band 6 emergency department nurse interviews. It gives practice questions, explains how to approach triage and prioritisation scenarios at principle level, includes a worked STAR answer, and covers common mistakes and preparation. Always follow local policy and your trust's triage system, which may differ between organisations and UK nations. The questions here are practice examples, not questions from any real interview.

In this guide

What questions are asked in an A&E nurse interview?
Why do you want to work in A&E?
How do you answer triage and prioritisation questions in an A&E interview?
Example answer: prioritising patients on a busy shift
What is the difference between a Band 5 and Band 6 A&E nurse interview?
How do I prepare for an A&E nurse interview?
A&E nurse practice questions with model answers
Common mistakes in A&E nurse interviews

What questions are asked in an A&E nurse interview?

Emergency department interviews mix motivation, clinical scenarios and values based questions. Rehearse these practice questions aloud.

Motivation: Why do you want to work in A&E?
Triage: How would you prioritise three patients who arrive at the same time?
Deterioration: How do you recognise and escalate a deteriorating patient?
Assessment: Talk us through how you would assess a patient brought into resus.
Pressure: The department is full and ambulances are waiting. How do you keep patients safe?
Aggression: How would you manage a patient or relative who becomes verbally aggressive?
Safeguarding: What would you do if you had safeguarding concerns about a child or adult?
Mental health: How would you care for a patient in mental health crisis who wants to leave?
Communication: How do you keep patients and families informed during long waits?
Wellbeing: How do you look after yourself after a difficult shift or a death in the department?
Band 6: How would you coordinate the majors area when staffing is short?
Band 6: How do you support a newly qualified nurse who is struggling?

Why do you want to work in A&E?

Give a specific, honest answer that links your experience to the realities of emergency care. Panels want to know you understand the pace and pressure, not just the excitement.

Mention a placement, rotation or experience that showed you the work, and what you learned there.
Talk about the variety of patients and the skills you want to develop, such as assessment, triage and caring for critically ill patients.
Show you value teamwork across nurses, doctors, paramedics, healthcare assistants and other services.
Acknowledge the pressures, such as crowding and distressed patients, and how you cope.
Link to the trust's values and the department's development offer.

How do you answer triage and prioritisation questions in an A&E interview?

Show a clear, systematic approach: rapid initial assessment, prioritise by clinical urgency using the trust's triage system, act on immediate threats to life, escalate early and reassess regularly. Panels want safe reasoning, not perfect clinical detail.

You will not be expected to quote exact thresholds or triage categories in most interviews, and it is better to describe principles you would follow within local policy.

Use a structured assessment: such as the ABCDE approach, to spot life threatening problems first.
Follow the local triage system: trusts use recognised triage tools, so say you would apply the one in use.
Use early warning scores and sepsis screening: in line with local policy, and escalate when concerned.
Escalate early: to the nurse in charge and the medical team, using a structured handover such as SBAR.
Reassess: patients can deteriorate while waiting, including in the waiting room.
Communicate and document: explain waits to patients and record your decisions clearly.

Example answer: prioritising patients on a busy shift

Use STAR (situation, task, action, result) with a real example and a short reflection. Keep patient details anonymous. This is a model to adapt, not a script.

Example answer: managing competing priorities

Situation: On a late shift in the majors area, I was caring for four patients when one patient's observations worsened, a relative asked urgently for an update, and a new patient arrived from an ambulance.

Task: I needed to keep all my patients safe and decide what to do first.

Action: I went straight to the deteriorating patient and assessed them using the ABCDE approach. Their early warning score had risen, so I escalated to the nurse in charge and the doctor using SBAR and started the immediate care I was able to give within policy. I asked a healthcare assistant to take observations on the new arrival and tell me straight away if anything was abnormal. Once the doctor was with my patient, I spoke to the relative, apologised for the wait and explained when I would update them.

Result: The patient was reviewed quickly, treated and later moved to resus for closer monitoring, and the new arrival was assessed safely. Reflection: I learned to delegate clearly and communicate early, and I now ask for help sooner when my workload is building.

What is the difference between a Band 5 and Band 6 A&E nurse interview?

A Band 5 interview focuses on safe, compassionate care of your own patients, while a Band 6 interview tests whether you can run an area, support others and keep the department flowing.

Band 5: assessment, recognising deterioration, escalation, prioritising your own workload, communication and teamwork.
Band 6: coordinating an area or triage, allocating staff, patient flow and escalation plans, and making decisions when the department is crowded.
Band 6: supporting and teaching juniors and students, managing performance concerns and staff wellbeing.
Band 6: governance, such as incident reporting, learning from complaints and audits.
Both: safeguarding, mental health, aggression and working within national and local standards, which differ across the UK nations.

How do I prepare for an A&E nurse interview?

Prepare four to six real examples, revise core emergency principles, learn about the department and practise aloud with someone who knows emergency care.

Revise ABCDE assessment, early warning scores, sepsis screening, SBAR and your trust's triage approach at principle level.
Prepare examples on deterioration, prioritisation, aggression, safeguarding, a difficult conversation and teamwork.
Read about the department, such as its size, any specialist areas and its development programme.
Ask a practice educator, mentor or senior nurse for a practice run, and use advice from the RCN, Unison or your university careers service.
Know the NMC Code and how it applies to emergency care.
Prepare a question for the panel, such as how new starters are supported or what training is offered for triage.

A&E nurse practice questions with model answers

Healthcare Interview Prep, an independent site created by a practising NHS doctor, has original practice questions with full written model answers for emergency department and other nursing roles, plus free Band 5 and Band 6 guides. The first 8 questions per role are free, and the full bank of 40 is a one off £4.99 per role. It is self study material, not live coaching or mock interviews, so pair it with spoken practice.

Common mistakes in A&E nurse interviews

Only talking about adrenaline: panels want to hear about safety, compassion and teamwork too.
Acting outside your scope: in scenarios, say you would escalate and follow local policy.
Forgetting reassessment: patients waiting can deteriorate, so mention ongoing monitoring.
Ignoring relatives and communication: explaining delays is part of safe care.
Skipping safeguarding and mental health: these come up often in emergency interviews.
Saying "we" throughout: make your own actions and decisions clear.

Frequently asked questions

Can a newly qualified nurse work in A&E?

Many emergency departments recruit newly qualified nurses at Band 5, often with a preceptorship programme, supernumerary time and competency based training. At interview, show what you learned on any emergency or acute placements, your assessment and escalation skills, and how you cope under pressure. Be honest about what you still need to learn and ask how the department supports new starters.

Do A&E nurse interviews include a clinical test or scenario?

Some do. Many interviews include clinical scenario questions, and some trusts add a short written test, a drug calculation check or a practical scenario as part of an assessment day. Your invitation should say what to expect. Revise core principles such as ABCDE assessment, escalation and safe medicines management, and ask the recruitment contact if anything is unclear.

What is the ABCDE approach in an A&E interview?

The ABCDE approach is a structured way to assess an acutely unwell patient: airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure. Each problem is dealt with before moving on, and the patient is reassessed regularly. In an interview, mentioning ABCDE shows you have a systematic method, especially when combined with early warning scores, escalation to senior colleagues and clear documentation, all within local policy.

What Band 6 A&E interview questions should I expect?

Band 6 emergency department interviews often ask how you would coordinate an area or triage, manage patient flow when the department is crowded, allocate staff on a short staffed shift, support struggling juniors, handle a complaint and share learning from incidents. Expect at least one leadership scenario, and prepare examples showing decisions you made while in charge or acting up.

How do I answer a question about violence and aggression in A&E?

Describe staying calm, keeping yourself and others safe and using de-escalation: a calm voice, open body language, listening and explaining what will happen. Consider causes such as pain, fear, intoxication or confusion. Say you would follow local policy, call for support or security when needed, report the incident and take part in a debrief. Never suggest putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

Practice question banks for related NHS roles

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Healthcare Interview Prep is an independent NHS interview preparation website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the NHS. Example questions and answers are original practice material, not official or leaked interview questions.

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