Which example shows your written communication?
Choose a placement example that answers the panel’s question.
The question
You are preparing for a fictional Band 5 staff nurse interview. The role asks for verbal and written communication. You plan to start with a spoken example from a supervised ward simulation.
- Spoken exampleYou explained the welcome process to a new learner at a simulation briefing.
- Written exampleYou wrote an orientation update with a new room and start time at the top.
“What evidence would you use to show how you communicate?”
Not saved by this site. Your browser may restore text when you navigate back.
A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Which evidence do you have?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Treat the spoken welcome as evidence for both parts.
Tempting, but it misses something. The welcome describes a verbal explanation. It gives no example of your writing.
Keep one example for each part of the criterion.
The strong move. The spoken welcome and the written update give different evidence.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I have one example of speaking to a new learner and one of writing a room and time update. I can explain what I did in both.”
Why it works: The examples cover different parts of the criterion.
Step 2: Which detail would you explain?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Explain where you put the new room and time.
The strong move. The note gives you a concrete writing decision to discuss.
Tell the panel you are good at all kinds of communication.
Tempting, but it misses something. A general claim gives the panel no action or evidence to assess.
See how a strong candidate says it
“For the written update, I can explain why I put the changed room and time at the top. I would check what the learner did with the note before I claim a result.”
Why it works: A specific choice gives the panel something to ask about.
Step 3: Which example fits the follow-up?
The panel asks for a written update you authored. Your educator’s feedback says the new learner identified the changed room and start time using your note.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Finish the spoken example because it went well.
Tempting, but it misses something. That example covers verbal communication. The follow-up asks about your writing.
Switch to the update you wrote and report the observed response.
The strong move. It answers the writing request using the evidence you have.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d use the written update. I put the room and time at the top. The educator saw the learner use it to find the new details.”
Why it works: The written example answers the narrower question.
Step 4: What would you tell the panel?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Give the change, your writing decision and the observer’s result.
The strong move. It uses a short sequence the panel can follow.
Say your note improved how the ward cared for people.
Tempting, but it misses something. The placement example records an education outcome only.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The orientation room and time changed. I wrote a short update with both details first. My educator observed the learner use the note to identify the new room and time.”
Why it works: The answer describes your action and its observed result in the exercise.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Use the written update for the follow-up.
- Because
- The panel asks for something you wrote and the educator recorded the learner’s response.
- What would change it
- A question about spoken communication would call for the welcome example.
Common traps
- Using one example to claim a skill it does not show.
- Claiming a result beyond the observed exercise.
Check your answer
- Did I name the criterion?
- Did I show what I wrote?
- Did I answer the follow-up?
- Did I use an observed result?
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026