Mastering the interview: the top nine nurse interview tips

Research is one of the most important preparation steps for an interview. Understanding what we do at Thornbury Community Services is the first step towards a successful interview. Whether you have worked in the community or not, you should have lots of transferable skills that are great to talk about. It’s important to read the description of the nursing job you have applied for so you are fully aware of what the role entails so you can answer any potential questions about it.

As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’. Practising your interview skills can help reduce stress when it comes to doing your actual interview. Try practising your answers with friends and family members. As you won’t know the questions before the interview, practising common nurse interview questions will help build your confidence and encourage you to think of multiple answers to give when answering the questions.

Our resourcing and recruitment teams are experts on HireVue, and it’s their job to help you with any questions or concerns you have with your video interview. They can help you with your preparation, talk through what to expect and give you an idea of the kinds of questions you will be asked.

Recruitment Team Tel: 0333 323 3762

Although HireVue isn’t face-to-face, it’s important to treat it as if it is. You should present yourself as you would for any other interview and wear smart and comfortable clothing that looks professional.

If you’re completing your HireVue interview on your phone, it is worth propping it up against something like a stack of books; so you can talk more freely and you can be seen clearly on camera. If you’re carrying out your interview at night, make sure there is enough light in the room so we can see you. Before you start your interview, go into a room where you will not be disturbed so you can focus solely on completing the interview and not be distracted.

It can be difficult to consider what your strengths are and what makes you stand out, especially when you are practising them every day and they come naturally to you. We all have strengths and weaknesses, it’s important to take some time to think about what makes you a great registered nurse, and the skills and attributes you have that would make you a valuable member of the Thornbury Community Services team.

HireVue is full of useful features that make it easier for you to complete the interview to the best of your ability. One of these features is re-recording your answer if you’re not happy with your first attempt. You can also hide the on-screen image while you answer your questions. A lot of people find this helps them be less distracted and helps with their nerves. Finally, always remember only one person will look at your interview, they have seen lots of interviews and completely understand that you might be nervous, so will take this into consideration.

Once you’ve finished your interview, you can contact the Resourcing Team and tell them how it went or send a thank you note via email. If you felt like you were nervous, let them know, your feedback can be passed onto the interview assessor to take this into consideration and help us improve the interview experience in future. We’re always looking for new ways to improve our interview experiences, so we really appreciate your valuable feedback.

Conducting your interview straight after a shift might not be the best time. One of the greatest benefits of a HireVue interview is that you can complete it at any time. So, when you start it, make sure you’re in a comfortable area that is quiet enough for you to concentrate and focus, and you feel relaxed before you start.