Nursing

Your nursing interview will take place online through Microsoft Teams. As your interview is online, we highly recommend visiting us at an Open Day or Taster Day to get to know ARU.

At the beginning of your interview, we’ll ask you to show ID to verify who you are. This is an NMC requirement and without this verification we will need to reschedule your interview.

We won’t ask to see qualifications at this stage.

Your interview will consist of a discussion and your thoughts on a nursing scenario.

Please note: your interview may be recorded.

Below, you'll find some helpful information about your interview and some of the things we'll be discussing. Do take a look before your interview.

Before your interview

You'll need to be prepared with knowledge and understanding of the role of a Nurse. When you graduate, you'll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Therefore, you must be aware of and uphold the NMC’s professional values and behaviours.

Additionally, as you’ll be working with service users at a very vulnerable time in their lives from early on in your degree, and throughout your career, you're expected to be familiar with and uphold the NHS Constitution and values.

During the interview we would like to find out more about you. You’ll have 10-15 minutes, where you’ll have a conversation with a nurse/lecturer. The discussion will also centre around you, your life and career to date, an how this would contribute to your future career as a qualified nurse.

We’ll also discuss such things as why you want to study nursing, your motivations, understanding of nursing and the requirements and responsibility of the course. This includes your commitments to travel and work unsociable hours over the next three years.

We'll ask you to respond to scenarios such as: “a patient on a ward asks you for your personal phone number in case they have any questions that need answering. What do you think about this?”

When exploring the scenario, we are interested in your personal values and ethos. We won't be assessing your knowledge of any nursing policy or procedure at this stage - this will be covered on the course itself. We’ll be assessing your motivation and understanding and academic ability, all underpinned by the 6Cs of the NHS Constitution.

There’s no need to worry, all of our interviewers are relaxed and friendly and are looking forward to seeing your potential.

Teams interview

• You’ll select a timeslot on your Applicant Portal. Please note that all interviews are conducted at UK/GMT(Greenwich Mean time) therefore any time differences should be taken into consideration.
• On the morning of your interview, we’ll send you a link to access the interview on Teams and give you the exact time for your interview within the timeslot that you selected. Please ensure that @aru.ac.uk email addresses are on your safe receiver list and that you regularly check your junk folder in the days leading up to your interview for any information from the interviewing team.
• This is an interview for a professional course leading to a professional qualification. Please dress and conduct yourself in a professional way.
• Please ensure you are at a device with a camera and a microphone with a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing the interview from a laptop rather than a mobile phone or tablet if you can. The interviewers need to be able to see and hear you clearly and if this is not the case, the interview will not be able to go ahead. We advise that you test this in advance and travel to an area with a strong signal if necessary for the duration of your interview timeslot.
• Have your ID ready for verification checks. This can be a passport, driving licence, or ID badge from your current employer or college. If you are unable to provide any of these please contact the Admissions Administrators as soon as possible on [email protected].

Please note: A camera, a microphone and ID are required to meet NMC regulations. If you don’t have access to these, we may have to reschedule your interview. You’ll not be penalised for any technology failing.

Interview format

Your interview will take the form of a conversation.

• We are looking for your understanding of the role of the nurse, course commitments, (placement, travel), NHS Constitution, resilience and transferable skills.
• We are interested in your approach to your answers and interpersonal communication skills.
• We are assessing your decision-making ability as well as your values.

We would like you to support your answers with personal examples and experiences all underpinned by the 6Cs.

What happens next?

You’ll be notified via UCAS of the results of your interview within five working days.

What next if I am offered a place?

• Accept your offer via UCAS Hub
• Arrange your accommodation
• Complete your DBS and Occupational Health information
• Notify the Admissions team of any changes to your circumstances.
• Provide copies of your qualifications and ID documents you have declared on your application form to the Admissions Team. Please upload these onto your Applicant Portal. If you cannot find any of your certificates you must apply for a replacement(s) immediately.

What next if I am unsuccessful at interview?

• Please consider the areas which need improvement and ask for written feedback to prepare for future interviews
• We are happy to accept applications for next academic year
• The offer of a place in a previous application cycle or on a reserve list does not guarantee a place or interview if you reapply for another intake.
• You may be offered a place on another course, in which case, follow the instructions above.

Above all, you need to be certain that this is the profession you want to join. Consider visiting us at an Open Day, if you haven't already. Then commit yourself to learning as much as you can before your interview day.