Preparing for an Interview for a Health and Social Care Course

The word ‘interview’ can be quite scary and intimidating but don’t worry; our brilliant and friendly staff are here to put you at ease.

Our interviewing and selection days are designed to make sure that students have the right values and a strong desire to work within the healthcare industry; whether you want to be a nurse, operating department practitioner, midwife, paramedic or social worker.


It’s often a requirement by a governing or regulatory body that prospective students have a face-to-face interview but at Staffordshire University, these will be short, informal chats to talk about why you want to study your chosen course, why you want to work in the profession and why you want to come to join us here at Staffs. The questions are values-based and are not intended to trip you up.


To make sure you’re as relaxed as possible and can answer all the questions thoroughly, it’s a good idea to do some research before you come along to the interview. For example, if you want to study nursing (adult, child or mental health), take a look at the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) website to read about the code of conduct and what’s expected of a nurse. You could also look at current industry news or issues and research into how the health and social care system works.


Make sure you do some research on Staffordshire University and the course you’d like to study. Be clear about WHY you want to become a health and social care professional; what do you know about the role and responsibilities that would be expected of you in the career you want to go into?


Don’t forget to sell yourself! This is your chance to explain why you deserve a university place here with us so be confident and passionate. Have you got any work experience? Even if it’s not in a clinical or care setting, other part time jobs that you’ve had can use skills that can be related to your chosen course and career, such as dealing with the public


Finally, don’t forget to be yourself – good luck and we look forward to meeting with you soon!

Our Child Nursing Lecturer, Keeley Guest, explains more about the process and what to expect…