NHS Interview

Dizzy_Ditzy

In my interview I was asked what the last book I'd read and what the last film I'd watched was

When I've interviewed, I've asked questions about the "trust values"- respecting each other blah blah. You'll find them relevant ones on your trust website

I've also asked questions about prioritising- you've got someone at your desk demanding stuff, your phone is ringing, you've got an ultra urgent patient to deal with and an urgent clinic to type- which would you do first and why. The answers we were looking for were dealing with the person in front of you first because they were there. Then the ultra urgent patient, the voicemail that was left when your phone was ringing and then your urgent clinic.

When I was asked why I wanted the job, I said that I wanted to make a difference to the patients.

I have interviewed nightmare people. We asked one lady why she wanted to work with us and she somehow ended up turning it round, interviewing us almost and asking us why she should come and work with us!

Another lady when asked why she was leaving her current position was incredibly horrible about her colleagues

I am in the NHS

jackyann

meritaten wrote: »

and if they ask the usual trick question (and I have been asked this at almost every job interview in the last twenty years) 'Who is the most important person in the hospital/ward?' the correct answer is 'The Patient'.

Ah Meritaten. this always reminds me of Monica Dickens' book One Pair of Feet (or possibly hands, I get the two muddled!) in which she is asked "what does this hospital revolve around" and replies "the incinerator"

But to be realistic (nearly all of my working life in the NHS) you can say "the patient, who needs the clinical staff to do the best they can, that is why they need support staff".
Above anything, show flexibility & the ability to work in a team. Don't be afraid to use examples from home life or voluntary work.

MancBrel

Under no circumstances visit the ward beforehand. I have 25 years experience of working in the NHS and believe me they don't take kindly to members of the public wandering onto wards. Even if you explain your motives, you will only serve to mark yourself out as odd and unsuited to working on a hospital ward. This is a busy work environment with sick and vulnerable people.

Of course, if you have a successful interview then by all means ask to call in and get a feel of the place. A pre-arranged visit from a soon to be member of the team is totally different.

Good Luck.

I_try

No mention was made of randomly wandering in to have a look around a ward! It is something that can be arranged beforehand and is something I would suggest to anyone going for an interview for any new job. The visit can be 15 mins before your interview slot, it doesn't have to be an extended day out in the department/ward. It is an opportunity to see the environment that you will potentially work in and some of the people you may work with and possibly give you ideas of things that you want to ask them at the end of the interview.


We certainly have candidates visit our departments when we interview and encourage them to do so, and I too have been in the NHS for many years.

j.e.j.

I wonder if OP has had her interview yet?

I know someone who went for an admin job in the nhs. I think the thing is, there is a definite culture there and you have to be 'singing from the same songsheet'.

I suspect there are questions to which there are model answers, and a certain amount of going through the motions is required, as with most jobs.

ciderwithrosie_2

MancBrel wrote: »

Under no circumstances visit the ward beforehand. I have 25 years experience of working in the NHS and believe me they don't take kindly to members of the public wandering onto wards. Even if you explain your motives, you will only serve to mark yourself out as odd and unsuited to working on a hospital ward. This is a busy work environment with sick and vulnerable people.

Of course, if you have a successful interview then by all means ask to call in and get a feel of the place. A pre-arranged visit from a soon to be member of the team is totally different.

Good Luck.

It works both ways - how would you know if you wanted to work there if you hadn't been for a visit first? It's more or less expected these days to ask to look round before your interview.
I do agree though that you shouldn't just pitch up unannounced.

In our NHS department, we wouldn't look as favourably on someone who didn't ask to look round, seems a bit arrogant and uninterested. Also, if you come for a visit, decide it's not for you, then you can cancel your interview and not waste people's time being interviewed for a job you've no intention of accepting if it were offered.

sulphate

My advice would be basically to memorise the job description and person spec and as others have said you will be asked to give examples of how you coped in certain situations.

Remember the key thing is that the patients come first, always.