Portsmouth Nursing Interview Questions & Tips

University of Portsmouth Nursing Interview Tips & Questions

Key Information

A typical offer from Portsmouth will be BBC or BCC. This could also be made up of 104-112 UCAS points, which must include two A levels, with 32 points specifically from a Science or Social Science Subject. All candidates that pass the shortlisting process will be invited to attend an interview.

What do Portsmouth Look for?

Portsmouth don’t offer a huge amount of information to distance their course from the norm. They explain that you will have a great chance to develop your practical skills in their simulated learning environments; that you will develop critical thinking, resilience and leadership skills, and that you will develop a true confidence in the processes of examining, assessing, and treating patients.

Through their emphasis on hands-on work, like their medical manikins and simulated patients in their Centre for Simulation in Health and Care, you may infer that Portsmouth are more focused on students who have practical and people skills to succeed in their course, rather than those that are more focused on research or academics.

This is borne out through their advice to those that are applying: they emphasise that good communication and teamwork skills are the most important attributes to have. They also stress that you should have an awareness of the 6Cs of nursing - care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.

You should take the time to reflect on each of the 6Cs, and think of a time when you have demonstrated that quality. Portsmouth’s ideal students will be readily able to show how they fit the 6Cs, and how they are eager to consider them throughout their learning at university and their future practice.

In terms of work experience, Portsmouth explains that it is ‘helpful to get some work experience before you start the course.’ You should take this as a recommendation to acquire relevant work experience; they also explain that speaking to people already working in the field, be it nursing or health and social care in general, will give you useful insights into the role of a nurse.

Looking at Portsmouth’s Curriculum Handbook, one finds an overview of their goals for their students, which should provide you with an idea of what to aim for when applying. They wish to develop students as, ‘reflective and person-centred practitioners, congruent with the values expected of the nursing profession.’ You should take this as a cue to reflect on your communication skills, team working ability, and your empathy and ability to help others in a holistic manner.

Nursing Interview Question Bank

Nursing Interview Techniques

What do previous students say?

Previous students explain that the Portsmouth interview is relaxed, with a presentation and tour taking up most of the morning. This means that you get a good overview of the course and university, and the ability to talk to staff and your fellow applicants. Applicants are then ordered by their distance of travel to the interview, with those that have travelled furthest interviewing first. You will then wait your turn for your individual interview, which is done through a simple points based system, and is likely to cover the ‘main’ topics - like motivation, work experience, communication and team working.

Example Questions for Portsmouth Nursing Interviews

Tell us about a team that you were part of, and a success that it had.
Do you work better in a team or independently?
Why is teamwork so important to Nursing?
What kind of team do nurses work in? Who else works in that team?
Tell us about a time when your communication skills were essential to your success or the success of your team.
Tell us about a time that your team succeeded, and what you learnt from this.
How would your friends describe you?

Are you organised?
What ambitions do you have in the field of Nursing?
Tell us about a time that you showed empathy.
What does the term empathy mean to you?
Have you had a mentoring or pastoral role at your school?
Imagine that one of your good friends, also studying nursing, is seriously struggling with the workload. They have decided to drop out, midway through their second year. How might you approach this situation? What would you say to them?
Why is empathy so important for nurses?

University of Portsmouth Nursing Interview Tips & Questions

​Further Reading....

Further Reading....