NHS INTERVIEW GUIDE

Children's Nurse Interview Questions: Band 5 and Band 6 Guide

Question themes, a worked STAR answer and preparation tips for Band 5 and Band 6 children's and paediatric nurse interviews in the NHS.

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

Quick answer

What questions are asked in a children's nurse interview?

Children's nurse interviews usually ask about family-centred care, safeguarding, consent and Gillick competence, recognising a deteriorating child, communicating with children of different ages, pain and distress, medication safety and supporting anxious parents. Band 6 interviews add shift leadership, supervision and improvement. Panels want safe, compassionate practice, early escalation and real examples, with legal points described at principle level and local policy followed.

Key takeaways

Show family-centred care in most answers.
Always act on and escalate safeguarding concerns.
Describe consent principles, noting UK differences.
Adapt communication to the child's age and development.
Band 6 answers need leadership and supervision examples.

Children's nurse interviews usually ask about family-centred care, safeguarding, consent and Gillick competence, recognising a deteriorating child, communicating with children of different ages, play and distraction, pain, and working with parents under stress. Panels want safe, compassionate nurses who escalate early and see the child and family as partners in care. Band 6 interviews add leadership, supervision and service improvement.

This guide covers the main themes, practice questions, how to talk about consent and safeguarding at principle level, a worked STAR answer and tips for both bands. The questions are typical practice themes, not questions from any real interview. Law and guidance on children differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check what applies to the post.

In this guide

What questions are asked in a children's nurse interview?
Key themes and practice questions for children's nursing
How do you answer family-centred care questions?
How do you talk about consent and Gillick competence in an interview?
How do you answer safeguarding questions as a children's nurse?
Worked STAR answer: supporting an anxious family
What is the difference between Band 5 and Band 6 children's nurse interviews?
Common mistakes in children's nurse interviews
How to prepare for a children's nurse interview

What questions are asked in a children's nurse interview?

Expect motivation questions, values questions and clinical scenarios built around children and families. The focus shifts with the setting, so read the job description closely.

Common settings, and what panels often emphasise:

General paediatric wards: admissions, observations, deterioration, medication safety and supporting parents.
Children's emergency departments and assessment units: rapid assessment, prioritisation and safeguarding awareness.
Neonatal units: family integrated care, infection prevention and supporting parents through uncertainty.
High dependency and specialist services: complex care, technology and close teamwork.
Community children's nursing: care at home and school, lone working and long-term conditions.

Key themes and practice questions for children's nursing

Prepare a real example from placement or work for as many of these as you can.

Motivation: Why did you choose children's nursing, and why this unit?
Family-centred care: What does family-centred care mean to you, and how have you put it into practice?
Communication: How would you adapt the way you explain a procedure to a toddler, a school-age child and a teenager?
Deterioration: How would you recognise and respond to a child who is becoming unwell?
Safeguarding: What would you do if you were concerned that a child's injury did not match the explanation given?
Consent: A 14 year old wants treatment but asks you not to tell their parents. How would you approach this?
Anxious parents: How would you support a parent who is angry about waiting times?
Pain and distress: How do you assess and manage pain in a child who cannot tell you how they feel?
Medication safety: Why is medication safety particularly important in paediatrics?
Transition: How would you help a young person prepare to move to adult services?
Teamwork: Tell us about working with play specialists or other professionals.
Band 6 leadership: How would you manage a shift with high acuity and a junior skill mix?

How do you answer family-centred care questions?

Explain that family-centred care means treating parents and carers as partners, involving them in decisions and care where they wish, sharing information honestly and respecting their knowledge of their child, while keeping the child's needs and wishes at the centre.

Give a concrete example, such as teaching a parent to help with tube feeding, agreeing a plan for a parent to stay overnight, or involving a sibling in play. Show balance too: parents also need rest and support, and families have different cultures, languages and circumstances.

How do you talk about consent and Gillick competence in an interview?

Describe the principle: a child under 16 may be able to consent to their own treatment if they have enough understanding and maturity to fully understand what is proposed. This is often called Gillick competence. Competence is assessed for each decision, and you would involve the senior clinician and follow local policy.

Avoid quoting legal detail you are unsure of. Gillick competence comes from case law in England and Wales and is also followed in Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own legislation on children's capacity to consent. Rules for young people aged 16 and 17, and for refusing treatment, can differ again, so say you would seek senior and, where needed, legal advice.

Encourage young people to involve their parents, but respect their confidentiality where appropriate.
Explain that confidentiality has limits if there is a risk of significant harm.
Use age-appropriate language and check understanding.
Document discussions and decisions clearly.

How do you answer safeguarding questions as a children's nurse?

Say that the child's welfare is paramount, that you would act on any concern however small, discuss it with the nurse in charge and the safeguarding team, and follow local child protection procedures. If a child is in immediate danger, you would act straight away to keep them safe.

Panels also like to hear that you would listen to a child who discloses without leading questions, never promise to keep a secret, record their words accurately and share information appropriately. Each UK nation has its own national child protection guidance, so refer to local procedures rather than naming a document you are unsure of. Band 6 candidates should mention supporting junior staff with concerns and attending safeguarding supervision.

Worked STAR answer: supporting an anxious family

This illustrative answer is from a newly qualified nurse. Adapt it rather than learning it word for word.

Example answer: family-centred care on a paediatric ward (Band 5)

Situation: On my final placement on a children's ward, a five year old was admitted with breathing difficulties. His father was very anxious, kept pressing the call bell and became upset when staff were busy elsewhere.

Task: I needed to keep the child safe and comfortable while helping his father feel informed and involved.

Action: With my practice supervisor's agreement, I sat with the father and asked what was worrying him most. He said nobody had explained what the monitor alarms meant. I explained them simply and showed him which changes to tell us about. We agreed I would check in at set times so he knew when to expect us. I involved the play specialist, who helped his son cope with nebulisers, and I asked the father how his son usually showed he was feeling worse, then shared this at handover.

Result: The father became calmer and used the call bell less. He told us he felt part of the team, and his son settled well.

Reflection: Parents know their child best. Giving them information and a clear role often reduces anxiety for everyone.

What is the difference between Band 5 and Band 6 children's nurse interviews?

Band 5 interviews focus on safe practice, communication, escalation and willingness to learn through preceptorship. Band 6 interviews expect you to lead shifts, coordinate care, supervise and teach others, manage risk and contribute to improvement.

For Band 6, prepare examples of leading a busy shift, supporting a struggling colleague, handling a complaint, teaching students and improving practice, for example through an audit or a change to parent information.

Common mistakes in children's nurse interviews

Treating the child as a small adult. Show you adapt communication, assessment and care to age and development.
Forgetting the family. Mention parents, carers and siblings in most answers.
Being vague on safeguarding. Always say you would act, escalate and follow local procedures.
Quoting doses, thresholds or legal detail you are unsure of. Describe principles and local policy.
Saying you love children and stopping there. Back motivation up with real experience.
Handling everything alone. Panels want escalation and teamwork.

How to prepare for a children's nurse interview

Match six to eight real examples to the person specification, covering family-centred care, deterioration, safeguarding, communication with different ages, teamwork and a mistake or learning point. Revise the principles of paediatric early warning tools, pain assessment and medication safety, as some trusts include a drug calculation test.

Useful support includes NHS Jobs interview advice, university careers services, practice educators, the RCN and Unison, and peers or mentors. Healthcare Interview Prep is a self-study option with original practice questions and written model answers for NHS nursing roles, with the first 8 free per role. It does not run mock interviews, so practise your answers aloud too.

Frequently asked questions

What should I say when asked why I want to be a children's nurse?

Be specific and personal without oversharing. Mention what drew you to children's nursing, such as a placement, a family experience or work with young people, and what you enjoy about working with children and families together. Link this to the unit you are applying to and the kind of nurse you want to become. Avoid relying only on saying you love children.

Do children's nurse interviews include a drug calculation test?

Many do, because medication safety is especially important in paediatrics, where doses are often based on weight. The format varies, so check your invitation or ask the recruitment contact. Practise calculations in the weeks before, using resources from your university or practice educators, and take your time on the day, checking each answer carefully.

What is Gillick competence in simple terms?

Gillick competence describes when a child under 16 has enough understanding and maturity to consent to their own treatment. It is assessed for each specific decision. It comes from case law in England and Wales and is followed in Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own legislation. At interview, describe the principle and say you would involve senior colleagues and follow local policy.

Can I apply for a Band 6 children's nurse role as an experienced adult nurse?

It depends on the post. Many children's nursing roles require registration on the children's part of the NMC register, while some areas, such as certain emergency or community services, may accept other registrants with relevant experience. Read the person specification carefully and contact the named manager on the advert if you are unsure whether you meet the criteria.

How do I answer safeguarding questions if I have little experience?

Focus on principles and on what you have seen or been trained in. Explain that the child's welfare comes first, that you would act on any concern, escalate to the nurse in charge and safeguarding team, and record facts accurately. If you observed a safeguarding concern on placement, describe your role in it without identifying details.

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