The short answer is YES! The SAO method is S – Situation, A – Action, O – Outcome. The STAR method is S – Situation, T – Task, A – Action, R – Results. Both are essentially the same thing.
Before writing your selection criteria answers, I ask you some specific questions and extract some examples of various scenarios you have encountered in the workplace. Even if you are a graduate, we can usually find examples based on your student placements. These examples play an important part in writing strong selection criteria answers. I make this process as easy as possible for you by asking questions that help prompt you, which makes it easier to think of relevant examples.
My method is then to write responses to the selection criteria questions for your role, by stating that you have the required experience, in which job(s) or training you gained the experience – SITUATION – and then back it up with an example that you have provided. I then write it in such a way that it demonstrates your understanding of the problem/situation, how you applied your clinical and nursing skills – TASK/ACTION – to assess and solve the problem, the steps you took to resolve the problem – ACTION – and how this delivered – RESULTS – a positive health outcome for the patient or contributed to a safer, or more educated working environment. Note that your answers are written in paragraph form and do not have STAR headings as this would not make sense to the reader, however they certainly follow the recommended method and are well-rounded answers.
Can I just say, I love writing Selection Criteria responses. Some people struggle to know what to write and I have the opposite problem, often finding that one of the biggest challenges is not writing too much!