NHS INTERVIEW PREPARATION

NHS Nursing and Midwifery Interview Questions and Answers

22 NHS roles · 40 practice questions with model answers for each · 8 free to read

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

Quick answer

What questions are asked in an NHS Band 5 nursing interview?

Most Band 5 interviews cover why you want the post, the NHS values, a deteriorating patient scenario, prioritising a busy shift, safeguarding, communication with patients and families, and a time something went wrong. Panels are mainly checking that you are safe, escalate early and work well in a team. Each trust writes its own questions, so practise the themes rather than memorising answers.

At a glance

Roles covered: 22 NHS Nursing and Midwifery roles
Questions per role: 40 original practice questions, each with a full model answer
Free to read: the first 8 questions and answers for every role
Full bank: £2.99 per role, 12 months of access, no subscription
Independent: not affiliated with or endorsed by the NHS

An NHS nursing or midwifery interview is rarely about catching you out. The panel wants to know whether you will be safe on a busy shift, whether you will speak up when something is wrong, and whether patients and families would feel looked after by you. Most of the questions come back to those three things, whatever the ward, clinic or community team.

This guide explains how NHS nursing and midwifery interviews usually run, the kinds of questions you can expect, and how to answer them in your own voice. Each role page on Healthcare Interview Prep has 40 original practice questions written for that job, with model answers. The first 8 are free, and you can unlock the rest for £2.99. We are an independent site and are not part of, or endorsed by, the NHS.

How do NHS nursing and midwifery interviews work?

Most posts are advertised on NHS Jobs, with some trusts using their own recruitment systems. Your application is shortlisted against the person specification, so your supporting information needs clear evidence for each essential criterion. The invitation should tell you the format and whether you need to prepare anything.

The interview itself is usually a panel of two or three people: often the ward or team manager, a senior nurse or midwife, and sometimes someone from education or HR. Expect a mix of values-based questions linked to the NHS values, clinical scenarios, and questions about teamwork and safeguarding. Some trusts run a short drug calculation or literacy test, a group task, or a brief presentation, especially for Band 6 and above. Large recruitment events for newly qualified nurses and midwives may be run as assessment days with several short stations.

Expectations change with the band. At Band 4 and Band 5 the panel is checking that you are safe, know your limits and escalate early. At Band 6 they want to hear about coordinating a shift, supporting students and juniors, and handling concerns. At Band 7 and 8a the questions move towards leadership, staffing, governance, audit and improving the service.

What questions are asked in NHS nursing and midwifery interviews?

These are typical themes, not leaked or guaranteed questions. Every panel writes its own, but most draw on the same areas.

Motivation: Why have you applied for this ward, and why this trust?
NHS values: Which of the NHS values matters most to you, and how do you show it on a shift?
The deteriorating patient: Your patient's NEWS2 score has risen since the last set of observations. What do you do?
Prioritisation: You have six patients, a discharge, a new admission and a family waiting to speak to you. How do you plan your shift?
Safeguarding: A patient tells you something at home is making them feel unsafe. How do you respond?
Communication: Tell us about a time you supported a distressed relative.
Medicines safety: You notice a prescribing error during a drug round. What happens next?
Raising concerns: What would you do if you saw a colleague behaving in a way that put patients at risk?
Teamwork and conflict: Describe a disagreement with a colleague and how it was resolved.
Learning from incidents: Tell us about a mistake you made or saw and what changed as a result.
Equality and inclusion: How do you make sure care is fair for a patient whose first language is not English?
Leadership (Band 6 and above): The shift is two staff down. How do you keep patients safe and support the team?

How should you answer NHS nursing and midwifery interview questions?

Use the STAR structure for behavioural questions: the situation, your task, the action you personally took, and the result. Spend most of your time on the action. Say I rather than we, so the panel can hear what you did.

For clinical scenarios, think out loud in a safe order. Assess the patient, act on what you find, escalate to the right person in good time, document clearly and hand over. Panels are listening for patient safety and escalation, and for whether you know the edges of your own competence. Saying you would ask for help is a strength, not a weakness.

Link your answers to the NHS values and the NMC Code without reciting them. A short line such as that was about treating him with dignity, because he was frightened of being a burden, lands better than a list. Keep the patient or the woman at the centre of every example, and finish by saying what you learned or would do differently.

Prepare five or six real examples you can adapt: a deteriorating patient, a safeguarding concern, a difficult conversation, a mistake.
If you are newly qualified, placement and care work examples count.

What standards and topics should you revise?

You do not need to quote documents word for word, but you should be able to explain the principles and how they shape your practice. Policies and thresholds vary between trusts and across the four UK nations, so check local versions.

The NMC Code: prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, promote professionalism and trust. Know how revalidation works.
The NHS Constitution and NHS values, plus the trust's own values from its website.
NEWS2 and sepsis recognition: what prompts escalation and to whom, following local policy. Paediatric and maternity early warning tools differ.
Safeguarding adults and children: the Care Act 2014, the Children Acts, types of abuse and how to refer.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the current position on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Mental Health Act 1983 basics for relevant roles.
Duty of Candour, incident reporting and the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).
Confidentiality: UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Caldicott Principles.
Medicines management: safe administration, controlled drugs and reporting errors.
Midwifery: the NMC Standards for midwives, national maternity safety work and current themes from maternity reviews, in general terms.
Infection prevention, falls and pressure ulcer prevention, and current NHS priorities.

Roles covered in this sector

Our nursing and midwifery banks cover support and registered roles from Band 2 maternity support workers and Band 4 nursing associates through Band 5 and Band 6 staff nurses and midwives in adult, mental health, children's, learning disability, community, theatres, critical care and emergency settings, up to specialist, ward manager, consultant midwife and Band 8a advanced clinical practitioner posts. There is also a bank for internationally educated nurses preparing for their first NHS post, focused on adapting to UK practice and NMC registration expectations in general terms.

All 22 NHS Nursing and Midwifery question banks

How should you prepare for the interview day?

Reread the job description, person specification and your own application.
Look up the trust's values, recent news and the service you would join.
Practise a drug calculation or two if a test is mentioned.
Bring your NMC PIN details, ID and any documents the invitation lists.
Plan your journey or test your video link the day before.
Prepare two thoughtful questions to ask the panel about the team, induction or development.

Frequently asked questions

What questions are asked in an NHS Band 5 nursing interview?

Most Band 5 interviews cover why you want the post, the NHS values, a deteriorating patient scenario, prioritising a busy shift, safeguarding, communication with patients and families, and a time something went wrong. Panels are mainly checking that you are safe, escalate early and work well in a team. Each trust writes its own questions, so practise the themes rather than memorising answers.

How long is an NHS nursing interview?

A typical NHS nursing or midwifery interview lasts around 30 to 45 minutes, though some trusts run shorter or longer panels. If there is a numeracy test, presentation or assessment day, plan for longer. The invitation usually explains the format, so read it carefully and ask the recruiting manager if anything is unclear.

Do NHS nursing interviews include a drug calculation test?

Some do and some do not. Drug calculation or numeracy tests are fairly common for registered nursing posts, especially newly qualified recruitment, but practice varies between trusts. If your invitation mentions one, revise common calculations such as tablets, liquids and infusion rates, and practise without a calculator unless told otherwise.

What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 6 nursing interview?

At Band 5 the focus is safe, competent care and knowing when to escalate. At Band 6 the panel expects you to coordinate shifts, support and assess junior staff and students, handle complaints and concerns, and contribute to audit or improvement. Your examples should show you taking responsibility beyond your own patients.

How should I answer NHS values questions in a midwifery interview?

Pick one or two values and back them with a short, real example from practice or placement. Explain what you did for the woman or family, and why it mattered to them. Avoid listing all six values. Linking your example to the NMC Code, such as respecting choice or speaking up for safety, shows you understand how the values work in practice.

Which NHS Nursing and Midwifery roles are covered?

Healthcare Interview Prep covers 22 NHS Nursing and Midwifery roles, including Adult Nursing, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Cancer & Oncology Nursing, Children's Nursing, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Community Midwifery, Critical Care & ICU Nursing and District & Community Nursing, with more listed above. Each role has its own bank of 40 original practice questions with model answers, and the first 8 are free to read.

How much does it cost to practise NHS Nursing and Midwifery interview questions?

The first 8 questions and model answers for every NHS Nursing and Midwifery role are free, and this sector guide is free to read. You can unlock the rest of a role's question bank for £2.99 as a one-off payment, with 12 months' access and no subscription.

Start practising for free

Every NHS role above has 40 original practice questions with full model answers. The first 8 are free to read. You can unlock the rest of a role's bank for £2.99, with 12 months' access and no subscription.

Other NHS sectors

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

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