What to expect in the interview for adult nursing

I have just been rejected from Bristol University for the Nursing course. Heartbreaking. I have the interview at Brighton but I have heard is highly competitive. At Bristol it was a mini interview, very informal, I really thought I had performed great but for them my performance was weaker than the other candidates, I guess a simple excuse to say they didn't like me. Still don't get it. I know the one candidate that was really pushy and not letting anyone to express, totally selfish, got through so...is that the standard? Just go elbows in, to apart everybody else from your way? I am confused. Now I really do not know what to expect from Brighton selection process. Should I go super-confident taking over everyone else?... :frown:

Reply 1

University of Brighton Accommodation

Official Rep

Original post by moma

Hi Moma

Sorry to hear that you've had a difficult experience. You are right - nursing is competitive. It's a popular course and it is limited by the number of places that the NHS trusts can make available (in any location). In a nutshell, because a big part of nursing courses are placements (and rightly so!) the number of places on courses is determined by how many there are. Together these two things mean there are a lot of applicants per place.

On the positive side - if you have not seen it already, I strongly recommend that you take a good look online at the entry requirements for the course you have applied for and the admissions information about nursing courses at Brighton.
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/snm/admissions/pre-reg.php?PageId=310

One of my friends is currently studying nursing - their advice is this;
Be able to show that you fully understand what the role of a nurse is (you might gain this knowledge from research online, speaking to someone who is a nurse and or getting some related work experience. This may be in a different setting to a purely medical one but one where you use similar skills such as a care home, in a charity etc. ).
Think about how skills you have already used and developed in the other experience you have gained and how they might relate to nursing. This might be through an example of a time that you were a good listener, were patient, or stayed calm under pressure, for example.

My final piece of advice is be yourself! This is the best way to ensure you are confident on the day. You will be assessed on your suitability for the course and profession, not on whether you fit a certain type. Our nursing courses (and the wider university) attract many different people from many different backgrounds with different interests and experience. This is something we celebrate at Brighton!

Good luck!

Best Wishes
Viv

University of Brighton

Brighton

Visit website

Reply 2

moma

Hi Viv, thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.
I am a mature student and with plenty experience in health and social care, that is why I felt so disheartened. I have talked to friends who have been through the interview and selection process and what I gather from them and from my recent experience is that at the end it seems to be a subjective election. You see that person, you like it or not. We are not all chatter boxes or forward people. It is actually quite curious. In Bristol I did not want to put my experience over those who were obviously very young and mainly they did not know what to say exactly. I don't know, I guess there are too many factors to try to predict the success or the failure. I did not have a bad experience in Bristol, in fact it was quite positive. the University was great, the ambassadors helpful and embracing, the lecturers/interviewers very friendly; they made me feel as if I was in already. Really nice. I think that is why I am so upset, it looked a really good place to go and develop. I will try my best in Brighton. I like to keep positive, it is one of those things that you learn when you work with vulnerable people, most of the time they are an inspiration. Wish me luck...

Reply 3

University of Brighton Accommodation

Official Rep

Original post by moma

Good luck!
It sounds to me like you shouldn't be down on yourself - it is just a competitive process and unfortunately sometimes it just doesn't work out. We get lots of mature students on our health courses so I am sure you will meet some people in a similar situation to you and with plenty of work experience when you come to interview and later on if you study here :smile:

To get through to the interview stage is tough - plenty of people don't get that far, personal statements and experience are key so it sounds like you are on track!!! :smile:

It's always hard when interviews (job or uni etc) feel like they've gone well (and they often have) but you don't end up getting it. We've all been there! You're right, stay positive, you've got more experience now in the interview process than you had before and you will be able to consider what you think about Brighton too. It's a two way thing - yes of course you need the course to offer you a place but you've got to want to go there too! I'm not sure if you know Brighton already but I'd recommend taking a look around the location (the city, not just the uni) while you're here!

Don't overthink it and just go for it! Let me know if there's anything else ... I came to uni as a mature student too, so I understand it's a tough process - the highs are great but the lows can be difficult, especially when you just want to get on and progress with your future / career. It can seem frustrating when the process takes a while and there are plans that need to be made.

Best Wishes
Viv

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

University of Brighton Accommodation

Official Rep

Just to add to what Viv said, Nursing is an incredibly popular course with a great number of applicants for a very rigid number of places.

You might find the Brighton interview experience rather different to some other universities, but they are essentially looking for comptence (assessed in numeracy and literacy), experience and/or transferable skills, and the drive and passion to get through the course and become a successful nurse on the other side. As a first year student I've found the course quite demanding already, and you do at times need to rely on that drive to get through a huge amount of new information, clinical skills and assessments.

Like Viv said, be yourself and show them that you would be a fantastic choice for a student nurse place. And don't be afraid to ask questions and be open in the one-to-one interview - although I've lived in Brighton for a few years and know the area quite well, I wanted to clarify a couple of things about placement areas and found the interviewer to be very helpful with this; I think they also appreciate someone who isn't just playing it as a game to get through, but can show they truly want to do this.

You may have already had the interview in the past week, so apologies if that's the case, but to you and anyone else I wish you the best of luck.

- Olly