Applicants' success in the ethics entrance exam: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Student selection is the first step in recruiting future social and healthcare professionals. Ethically competent professionals are needed in social and healthcare. It is important to select applicants who have the best possible abilities to develop their ethical competence in the future. Values-based recruitment has been used to inform the recruitment and selection of higher education applicants. However, objective and valid tests in student selection are needed.

AIM

To assess social and healthcare applicants' success and related factors in the ethics section of the universities of applied sciences digital entrance examination (UAS Exam) to undergraduate degree programmes.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A cross-sectional design was used.

PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT

Social and healthcare applicants needed to identify ethical situations in the ethics section of a national digital entrance examination (UAS Exam) in autumn 2019 (between 29 October and 1 November) in 20 Finnish universities of applied sciences.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The process for the responsible conduct of research was followed in the study. Ethics committee approval was obtained from the Human Sciences Ethics Committee in the Satakunta region (27 September 2019). Approval to undertake the study was obtained from the participating universities of applied sciences. Participation to the study was voluntary and based on informed consent.

RESULTS

The applicants' (n = 8971) mean scores were 7.1/20 (standard deviation 6.5), and 22.7% of the applicants failed the ethics section. Age, previous education, and place of birth (own/parent) explained the applicants' success in the ethics section (total score and failed exam results).

CONCLUSION(S)

Applicants' success in the ethics section varied indicating that future students may have a different basis to develop their ethical competence. This may impact on (new) students' learning, especially in practical studies.

Nursing applicants' desire to work in nursing and related factors: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The desire to work in the nursing profession has recently been identified as an important aspect to consider in the selection process of nursing students but very little is known about nursing applicants' or students' desire to work in nursing.

AIMS

The study aimed to describe and explain the desire of undergraduate nursing applicants to work in nursing.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study design.

METHODS

The Desire to Work in Nursing Instrument was used to collect the data. All nursing applicants (N = 974) who took part in an entrance examination organised in six Universities in October 2018 were eligible to participate. Eight Hundred and Forty-one applicants (response rate 86%, 102 males) participated in the study. Statistical analysis included the use of descriptive statistics and linear regression was used to assess if dependent variables explained the observed outcomes.

RESULTS

A strong desire to work in nursing was demonstrated in all the four areas. The most common reason to desire this work was suitability to nursing and the nature of work, and the least common was the career opportunities. Gender, previous education, and a realistic image best explain the desire.

CONCLUSIONS

The assessment of desire to work in nursing may assist career choice of nursing applicants, and may enhance recruitment and retention in nursing education. Applicants need to be more aware of the career development possibilities. Further studies are needed to investigate if the desire to work in nursing is different to men than to women to inform recruitment strategies.

Mentorship needs in an intrapartum setting - mentor-centred approach: A qualitative descriptive study

AIM

The study aimed to explore and describe the needs of registered midwives in labour rooms in the North-West Province of South Africa with regard to clinical mentorship of student midwives to identify the strengths and gaps in the clinical mentorship programme and make recommendations to optimise clinical mentorship for student midwives in this setting.

BACKGROUND

The South African healthcare system is overburdened by numerous problems, particularly in maternity services. It has been reported that nurses are not skilled enough to provide quality care to pregnant women. The onus is on nursing education institutions to produce competent midwives to improve the quality of care. Mentorship has been proven to improve competence among mentees and this strategy can be used to address this health problem in South Africa.

DESIGN

The study employed a qualitative descriptive design and purposive sampling was used to select the participants from the level 2 hospitals in the North-West province in South Africa.

METHODS

Data were collected using individual telephonic interviews and 14 participants from three level 2 hospitals in the North-West province participated in the data collection process.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged from interviews conducted with the participants. Their needs to successfully mentor student midwives in an intrapartum setting are a positive environment for learning, teaching and mentorship; a collaborative relationship between the nursing education institutions and the health facilities where they are employed as well as positive student conduct. The sub-themes under theme 1, a positive environment for teaching, learning and mentorship, are patience, teamwork, mutual respect and human and material resources. Theme 2, a collaborative relationship between the nursing education institutions and the health facilities, had three sub-themes, namely, presence, effective communication on students' objectives, activities and progress and opportunities for self-development and empowerment. Commitment to learning (presence, patience and pre-knowledge) is the sub-theme that emerged from the theme of positive student conduct.

CONCLUSIONS

For successful mentorship in the clinical setting, the focus should not just be on the mentees themselves and creating an environment where they can learn. There is a need to look into how the mentors, who provide learning opportunities and teach, guide and support mentees in order for them to be competent, can be assisted to enjoy mentorship.

Identification of the components for investigation of the psychological strength of nursing applicants: A qualitative study

AIM

There is a lack of clarity about the components which would signify appropriate psychological strengths among nursing student candidates. This study was conducted to identify such components from the viewpoint of the clinical nurses and nursing instructors.

DESIGN

A qualitative study.

METHODS

This study comprised qualitative research using a conventional content analysis approach. Participants were 25 nurses and nursing instructors. Data were collected in audio-recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews and were analysed using MAXQDA10 software.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed four main categories including "anger management," "Stress/distress management," "self-belief" and "aptitude for hard work."

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified core components for future investigations into the psychological strengths of nursing applicants. This study provides specific testable hypotheses for future research endeavours. It is recommended that the researchers investigate the appropriateness of the components identified in this study to assess the psychological strength of the applicants in the longitudinal studies.

Emotional Intelligence Instruments Used in Health Care Education

BACKGROUND

This article aims to describe the content and the psychometric properties of emotional intelligence instruments used in health care education and to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and study success.

METHOD

Six electronic databases were searched in spring 2020. Two researchers participated in the selection and quality assessment of the articles. Ultimately, 26 articles were included in the review.

RESULTS

From the included articles, 18 emotional intelligence instruments were identified. The content of the instruments focused on perception of emotions, understanding of emotions, emotional expression, managing emotions, using emotions, and social awareness and relations. In most of the studies, emotional intelligence was related to study success.

CONCLUSION

The assessment of several important components of emotional intelligence was identified. Comprehensive assessment using the emotional intelligence total score seemed to be the best predictor of study success. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(1):6-11.].

Nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The assessment of reasoning skills is recommended in undergraduate nursing student selection. Reasoning skills are crucial for sound decision-making, improving patient safety and are necessary from the very beginning of studies. Nursing applicants' reasoning skills based on the reasoning process have not been previously measured.

OBJECTIVES

To assess undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Undergraduate nursing applicants (n = 1056, response rate 55.4%), who consented to the study and performed a joint electronic entrance examination to six Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in spring 2019, participated in the study.

METHODS

The Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test, based on the steps of the reasoning process, was used, comprising three question sections (collecting information, processing information, and identifying the problem and establishing goals). Background variables were collected through a questionnaire and the Positive System Usability Scale (P-SUS). The data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and analysis of covariance with Tukey's test in post-hoc multiple group comparisons.

RESULTS

Applicants' total reasoning skills mean scores were above the centre of the range of possible scores (2.72/4.5, SD = 0.80). The applicants scored higher in collecting and processing information than in identifying the problem and establishing goals. Standard deviations demonstrated variance between the applicants' ability. Age, gender, and previous education were statistically significantly related to applicants' reasoning skills. Previous work experience was statistically significantly related to success only in the step of identifying the problem and establishing goals.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing applicants' reasoning skills vary in the student selection phase. Applicants are less able to identify the problem and establish goals than to collect and process information. Vocational education does not necessarily develop adequate reasoning skills and thus prepare students for higher education studies. The results have implications for educational institutions and further research.

An exploration of the predictive validity of selection criteria on progress outcomes for pre-registration nursing programmes-A systematic review

AIM

To identify the selection methods currently being used for pre-registration nursing programmes and to assess the predictive power that these methods have on students' success.

BACKGROUND

Research into selection methods in nursing education is beginning to emerge, yet it is unclear which methods are most predictive of students' success.

DESIGN

A systematic review of the literature.

METHODS

A systematic search of ten electronic databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE Ovid, EMBASE, PROQUEST Health and Medical, PROQUEST Education, COCHRANE Library, Web of Science, ASSIA, SCOPUS and PROSPERO was conducted. The results were expanded by the handsearching of journals, reference lists and grey literature. The PRISMA statement guided the review. Studies published in English between January 2008-March 2020 were eligible for inclusion, and quality assessment was undertaken using the CASP Checklist for Cohort Studies.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies met the criteria for inclusion. A range of selection methods was identified including prior academic achievement, admissions tests, interviews, emotional intelligence tests, personal statements and previous healthcare experience. Prior academic achievement and admissions tests appear to be the selection methods most predictive of student success. The evidence surrounding other selection methods such as interviews and personal statements is less conclusive.

CONCLUSION

Selecting individuals with the appropriate knowledge, interpersonal skills and personal qualities needed to complete an undergraduate nursing programme is an important part of the role of nurse educators. This review shows that a wide variety of selection methods are used across different institutions, some of which are more effective than others in predicting student outcomes.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Further research is required to justify the continued use of some commonly used selection methods for undergraduate nursing programmes. Selection models that combine various types of selection criteria with predictive power appear to increase the probability of selecting students that will have successful outcomes.

A scoping review of admission criteria and selection methods in nursing education

BACKGROUND

Nursing education institutions are required to select and train applicants who have appropriate characteristics for delivering effective healthcare. Unlike other healthcare professions and despite the need to attract and select a competent workforce, there has been no comprehensive analysis of the selection criteria and methods used to recruit nursing students. As there is relatively limited prior research available, we conducted a scoping review to explore and synthesise the existing evidence regarding admission criteria and selection methods of nursing students and for the purpose of identifying an agenda for future research in this field.

METHODS

Our scoping review follows the Arksey and O'Malley five-step proposition including identifying the research question and relevant studies, study selection, tabulation of data, and summarizing and reporting the results. Seven databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, ERIC, SID, Irandoc and PsycINFO) were searched systematically using relevant keywords. Articles on admission of undergraduate nursing students published in both English and/or Persian from 2006 to 2019 were retrieved.

RESULTS

Existing research evidence suggests that nursing students are largely selected on the basis of two criteria - "cognitive-academic abilities" and "non-cognitive abilities." Cognitive-academic abilities were assessed in four main dimensions of mathematics, language, natural sciences and reasoning skills mainly through standardized tests and academic records. Our review shows a wide range of non-cognitive characteristics are evaluated in nursing applicants including: morality, interpersonal communication skills and psychological strength. The selection method most commonly used to assess characteristics was through interviews (panel interviews or multiple mini interviews). Other methods included references, personal statements and personality assessment tools.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first scoping review of literature regarding nursing education selection and recruitment. Results can be used to inform nursing education policymakers and institutions in the design of their selection practices. Future research should concentrate on the evaluation and improvement methods of student selection including content and predictive validity analysis of multiple mini interview and standardized tests, development of cost-effective selection methods and job analysis studies to identify specific non-cognitive characteristics for nursing.

Emotional intelligence of nursing applicants and factors related to it: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Emotions influence patient care decisions and professional relationships. Emotional intelligence has been proven to predict nursing students' success in clinical practice and academic performance. Scarce amount of studies have assessed the emotional intelligence in the nursing student selection context.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the emotional intelligence of applicants to undergraduate (bachelor level) nursing education and the factors related to it.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional quantitative study.

SETTINGS

The data collection took place in four Universities of Applied Sciences in October 2016.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were nursing applicants (N = 529) who took part in the entrance exams of the four Universities. Overall, 430 applicants (response rate 81%, 75 males) gave permission to access their results for the study's purposes.

METHODS

The Rankein Scale measure of emotional intelligence was used. All of the nursing applicants undertook the same electronic entrance exam in supervised computer classrooms. Statistical analysis included the use of two independent samples tests to compare differences in emotional intelligence scores and ANCOVA models to investigate whether background variables explained the observed differences.

RESULTS

In this study, nursing applicants' level of emotional intelligence was found to be average (on a scale of below average, average, above average). However, total scores ranged between 102 and 160 (of 160). Approximately 4% of the applicants scored below the minimum score (<130) and therefore failed the emotional intelligence test. A statistically significant difference was found between the pass and fail groups in terms of the total score. Significant differences were also found in the three subscores and in the total score of admitted and not admitted applicants.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing applicants enter their studies with differing EI skills. This finding may have a major impact on how nursing students experience emotions during their studies. More research is needed to establish the use of EI in student selection context.

Structure and Content of a New Entrance Exam to Select Undergraduate Nursing Students

Aim The aim of this study was to develop an evidence-based structure and content for the new nursing entrance examination. Background The purpose of the student selection process is to ensure that those admitted have the required aptitude, motivation and potential to successfully complete studies. Methods The literature reviews were collected using systematic searches in five electronic databases on the assessment of learning skills, social skills/ emotional intelligence and certainty of career choice of nursing applicants. Three focus group interviews (n = 26) were conducted. Data were analysed inductively. The structure and content of the entrance examination was formed by two data sets synthesis. Findings Nursing student selection should involve the assessment of five categories in learning skills, three in social skills and four categories in certainty of career choice. Conclusion Comprehensive assessment can ensure that those admitted are suitable for the profession and have the capability to succeed in their studies.