Interviews

What area of nursing is it? Tell us a bit more about the post and let's see what we can come up with

It's for a surgical nurse practitioner working within colorectal and emergency surgery

And thats a band 6 position? As a specialist, you would have thought it would be a band 7. Sorry....I digress.....

I agree with scattycarrot.

Maybe that's something you could incorporate into the interview questions? For instance......if it was me interviewing someone, I'd ask them their opinion of the banding of this particular post, ask them (in a roundabout way) why they think it's a band 6 (when it really should be higher)

My trust also has band 6 specialist nurses and "very specialist" is band 7.

I work in renal and have worked with some nurses who on paper look fantastic but in reality are awful. I would much rather have a newly qualified with the right attitude than some so called experienced dialysis nurses I have worked with. I can help people develop clinical skills - changing ingrained bad attitudes is something else.

The type of questions I would always like to be able to ask are around their work ethics not purley on their clinical skills. I'm not sure how you could do to this but maybe you could inlude some senarios that would give them a chance to demonstrate their commitment. Maybe you can ask about what frustrates them about their current job, why the want this job etc. I try to make my interviews quite informal and the questions I ask I try not to make it sound like I am asking a formal question - I make it conversational as I want to see the person not hear a set of well reheorificed answers. If they are passionate about what they do this is their opportunity to shine??

I know there are probably people who will stongly disagree with my approach but I like to put people at ease and some of the most fantastic nurses I know are like startled rabbits when it comes to really formal interviews.

I hope you get the right person for the job on the day.

Not sure if it is one of your questions but how about 'how do you see this post advancing in the future?'