The 6 Cs of nursing: what they mean and how to use them in your application

The 6 Cs of nursing are care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. England's Chief Nursing Officer set them out in Compassion in Practice, the December 2012 strategy for nurses, midwives and care staff. Universities still use them when they describe good care. If you're applying for nursing, real examples from school, work or volunteering show the 6 Cs far better than a list of the words. This guide explains each one, then shows how to use them in your UCAS personal statement and at interview.

What are the 6 Cs of nursing?

The 6 Cs come from Compassion in Practice, a three-year strategy published on 4 December 2012. Jane Cummings, then Chief Nursing Officer for England, wrote it with Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing at the Department of Health. It set out the values that should sit behind good care across the NHS and the care sector.

In plain terms:

• Care: meeting a person's physical, emotional and psychological needs. This is the heart of nursing.
• Compassion: how that care is given, with kindness, empathy, respect and dignity.
• Competence: having the knowledge and skills to give good care, and keeping them up to date.
• Communication: listening and explaining clearly to patients, families and the rest of the team.
• Courage: doing the right thing for the people you care for, including speaking up when something is wrong.
• Commitment: dedication to patients and to making care better.

Once you qualify, you'll work to the NMC Code, the professional standards for every registered nurse and midwife in the UK. Its four themes are prioritise people, practise effectively, preserve safety, and promote professionalism and trust. They overlap closely with the 6 Cs, so preparing for one helps with the other.

What each C looks like for a sixth former

You don't need hospital experience to show these values. Admissions tutors know most applicants are 17 or 18. They want to see that you've noticed these qualities in yourself and thought about what they mean.

Care

A part-time job in a care home, helping a grandparent after a fall, or supporting a younger sibling with additional needs all count. What matters is what you did and what you noticed about the person's needs.

Compassion

Compassion shows up in the detail. Maybe a resident with dementia got upset at mealtimes, and you found that sitting at their eye level and speaking more slowly calmed them. That one small change says more than "I am a compassionate person".

Competence

At 17, competence means learning well and knowing your limits. A first aid course, a Biology practical where you followed the method carefully, or knowing when to pass a problem to a supervisor all show it.

Communication

Think of times you changed how you spoke to suit someone. Explaining homework to a Year 7 student, reading with children at a primary school or calming an upset customer at work all count. Listening counts as much as talking.

Courage

Courage is often quiet. Telling a teacher you were worried about a friend, owning up to a mistake at work, or challenging an unkind comment in a group are all real examples.

Commitment

Long-running activities show commitment best. Volunteering every Saturday for a year, holding down a job alongside your A-Levels, or keeping going through a hard term all fit here.

The 6 Cs at a glance: meaning and evidence you can give

Source: NHS England, Compassion in Practice. Last checked: 13 November 2026.

How to show the 6 Cs in your nursing personal statement

The UCAS personal statement now asks three questions, with 4,000 characters to share between your answers:

1. Why do you want to study this course or subject?
2. How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
3. What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

The 6 Cs fit across all three. Question 1 is the natural place for care and commitment: what drew you to nursing, and to your chosen field (adult, children's, mental health or learning disabilities). Question 2 suits competence and communication, through subjects like Biology, Psychology or Health and Social Care. Question 3 is where most of your compassion and courage examples will go.

Build it in four steps:

1. List three or four experiences, then note which Cs each one shows. Most will show more than one.
2. For each experience, pick one specific moment.
3. Say what you did, then what it taught you about nursing or about yourself.
4. Cut any sentence that names a value without giving evidence for it.

Here's the difference in practice. "Volunteering taught me the importance of compassion and communication" names two Cs and proves neither. Compare: "One resident would only eat if I sat with her and talked about her garden. I learned that care works better when you know the person behind it." The second never uses the word "compassion", yet a tutor sees it straight away.

Most nursing courses for 2027 entry have the UCAS equal consideration deadline of 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027. Our UCAS 2027 timeline sets out what to do each month before then.

Nursing interview questions on the 6 Cs, with model answers

Nursing courses usually interview applicants, and questions about values come up often. A strong answer uses one real example, says what you did, and ends with what you learned. Use these model answers as a guide and swap in your own experiences.

"Which of the 6 Cs is most important?"

There's no single right answer, so explain your choice and link it to the others.

"I'd say communication, because the other five depend on it. In my care home job, one resident wasn't drinking much. When I asked her about it, she told me the cup was too heavy to lift. Getting her a lighter cup was simple, but I'd only have found out by asking and listening."

"Tell us about a time you showed courage."

"In a group project, one member was being left out and laughed at. I told the group we needed her part of the work and asked her to present it. It felt awkward, but I'd rather feel uncomfortable than watch someone be treated badly. I know speaking up for patients will sometimes be harder than that, and I want to be the nurse who does it."

"How would you show compassion to a patient who is angry?"

"I'd stay calm and try to find out what's behind the anger, because it's often fear or pain. In my shop job, a customer was shouting about a refund. Once I let him explain, it turned out he'd had bad news that day. On a ward I'd do the same: listen first, acknowledge how they feel, then explain what I can do or who can help."

"What does competence mean for a student nurse?"

"Knowing what I can do safely, and being honest about what I can't do yet. On my first aid course I learned the recovery position, and also when to call for help straight away. As a student nurse I'd want to learn quickly and ask for help early."

Getting the grades for your nursing offer

Your statement and interview show your values. Your grades show you can handle a degree with a lot of science in it. Offers vary by university, so check each course page, and use our guide to UCAS points to see what your predicted grades are worth.

If Biology, Psychology or Sociology are among your A-Levels, Medly AI lets you practise exam questions and get each answer marked against the mark scheme, with feedback on how to pick up the next mark. The free plan includes 5 marked questions, 20 AI tutor messages and 1 uploaded paper a day, with no card needed. For timed practice, see our guides to AQA Psychology papers and AQA Sociology papers.

Frequently asked questions

Are the 6 Cs of nursing still used?

Yes. Compassion in Practice was a three-year strategy launched in December 2012. Its successor, Leading Change, Adding Value (2016), built on the 6 Cs, and the six values are still widely used in nursing education and recruitment. Many universities refer to them in their course and interview guidance.

Should I name the 6 Cs in my personal statement?

You can name one or two where it reads naturally, but evidence matters more. One clear example of compassion will do more for you than writing the word.

Do the 6 Cs apply to every field of nursing?

Yes. They apply whether you choose adult, children's, mental health or learning disabilities nursing. They were also written for midwives and care staff.

Are the 6 Cs the same as the NMC Code?

No. The 6 Cs are a set of values from England's Chief Nursing Officer, now published by NHS England. The NMC Code is the professional standard that every registered nurse and midwife in the UK must follow, though the two overlap a lot.

When is the UCAS deadline for nursing in 2027?

For most nursing courses starting in 2027, it's 18:00 UK time on 13 January 2027. Check each university's course page in case a deadline differs.

Can I use ChatGPT to write my nursing personal statement?

You shouldn't let it write the statement for you. UCAS has guidance on AI covering how to use these tools for research without harming your application. The examples and the words need to be your own.

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