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Talking about the 6 C's in your nursing interview.

I have an interview in 5 days for Children's nursing and at a total loss of how to incoporate the 6 C's into my nursing interview answers. Any advice and I mean ANY advice is welcome.

6 C's = Care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment!

Thanks :smile:)

Reply 1

Original post by Marty_0
I have an interview in 5 days for Children's nursing and at a total loss of how to incoporate the 6 C's into my nursing interview answers. Any advice and I mean ANY advice is welcome.

6 C's = Care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment!

Thanks :smile:)


If they ask you scenario based it's quite easy, I've used communication when they ask me about skills in current work and how important it is to be able to communicate with diverse groups of people and children ettc. Also, when talking about how good you are at teamwork you can bring communication in too.

The Francis report has come up in nearly interview I've been in, and I've said it was particularly important at emphasising the 6 C's and making sure we have courage to speak up if anything is going wrong, which I've also used when they ask what you'd do under pressure or if you make a mistake. Speaking up and talking to the rest of your colleagues about it etc.

I've talked about care/compassion but they usually speak for themselves, I've found courage and communication really great to talk about in interviews :smile: good luck!!

Reply 2

Original post by ciaras
If they ask you scenario based it's quite easy, I've used communication when they ask me about skills in current work and how important it is to be able to communicate with diverse groups of people and children ettc. Also, when talking about how good you are at teamwork you can bring communication in too.

The Francis report has come up in nearly interview I've been in, and I've said it was particularly important at emphasising the 6 C's and making sure we have courage to speak up if anything is going wrong, which I've also used when they ask what you'd do under pressure or if you make a mistake. Speaking up and talking to the rest of your colleagues about it etc.

I've talked about care/compassion but they usually speak for themselves, I've found courage and communication really great to talk about in interviews :smile: good luck!!


Simple and precise.. thank you Caira. so demonstrating them through your answers and experience is more or less easier and smarter than trying to define and rhyme all 6 off in one answer :smile:

Reply 3

One question I had at an interviewyesterday was, do you know what the 6 c's are and then I reeled them off I was then asked how each one could be applied to a nurse doing their job on a daily basis.


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Reply 4

Original post by Marty_0
Simple and precise.. thank you Caira. so demonstrating them through your answers and experience is more or less easier and smarter than trying to define and rhyme all 6 off in one answer :smile:


Yes but still pratisce shooting the 6's off.

Reply 5

Original post by ballroom beans
Yes but still pratisce shooting the 6's off.


'Shooting the 6's off' .. lol what do you mean?

Reply 6

If someone asks you what the 6 C's are. You are able the answer "Care, courage, competency, compassion, communication and commitment" without thinking.
(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 7

Original post by Marty_0
so demonstrating them through your answers and experience is more or less easier and smarter than trying to define and rhyme all 6 off in one answer :smile:


Yes exactly - I'm just going back into nursing eduction after years if working in care/support services - employers like examples interviews, it's not simply enough to say that you know what the 6 Cs are; you'd be expected to explain how you have or would incorporate them into your working practice. I'm sure it'll be the same for university interviews.

Reply 8

the most important is that you show the panel how important it is to look after yourself (pam smith wrote about emotional labour in nursing ) there is masses of research about burnout in nursing
this is an old but very relevant definition of burn out in nursing from an american researcher. you can see just by understanding this that nurses who don't manage their stress, pace themselves cannot 'care, communicate, show compassion courage or commitment!
think maslow hierachy of need and always apply it to you !

at interview ask about protected time for reflective practice or small group supervision, this is essential to process the emotions associated with caring (talking.... or processing sad and difficult work experiences is good for your mental health!) hard boiled cynical nurses become like that because they have not been supported at the beginning of their to learn life enhancing coping skills.

Storlie FJ (1979) Burnout an elaboration of a concept American Journal of Nursing Dec 79 (12) 2108-11
“Literal collapse of the human spirit-

Transforming caring into apathy-

Involvement into distance-

Openness into self protection-

and trust into suspicion”.

Reply 9

Mental health nursing Interview

Reply 10

What are the questions ask for mental health nursing interview

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