These questions explore your motivations, values, and approach to professional practice. It will help the interviewing panel understand who you are as a potential nurse or midwife.  

Questions of this variety may include: 

1. What qualities do you have that will make you a successful RN/ midwife? 
2. How will you maintain your professional education? 
3. Why did you choose a career in nursing/midwifery? 

Behavioural questions test your previous behaviours, with the aim of giving interviewers an insight as to how you would react in given situations. 

Behavioural questions should be answered using the STAR method. This stands for: 

1. S – Situation (setting the scene) 
2. T – Task (describe the purpose) 
3. A – Action (explain what you did) 
4. R – Result (what was the outcome) 

Examples of behavioural questions include: 

1. Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a situation in the workplace over which you had no control 
2. Describe a positive experience that occurred during your clinical placement. Why was that significant? 
3. Recount a time you experienced conflict, and how it was resolved. 

Situational questions – also known as scenario questions – assess your responses to potential incidents in the workplace. While behavioural questions focus on past experiences, these questions ask you to describe your actions in a hypothetical scenario. 

When answering these questions, you should address any issues that may arise from the scenario, including professional, legal and ethical issues – if possible! 

You can also use a story to highlight a previous incident which you may have faced that has similarities to the scenario at hand – but don’t forget the STAR method. 

Examples of situational questions include: 

1. You have a diabetic patient who is not communicative. What do you do? 
2. What would you do if you witnessed a colleague administering an incorrect drug? 
3. You are caring for a patient who refuses all treatment. What action would you take? 
4. Your family member has been admitted to the hospital that you work at, they ask you to check their medical records for their test results. What would you do? 

If you are looking for additional support with the New Graduate employment process, you can register for two of our upcoming FREE Flying Start webinars.  

You can register for our upcoming webinar Flying Start Part 2: Interviewing, learn how to register with the NMBA in Flying Start Part 3: Registering with the NMBA, or revisit the application process by logging into the student portal to watch the recording of Flying Start Part 1: Applying.