The use of high-fidelity simulation in the admissions process: one nurse anesthesia program's experience

Nurse anesthesia programs across the country are frequently in search of better selection criteria and more efficient evaluation systems. The goal is to select qualified applicants who will successfully complete the program and represent the profession of nurse anesthesia. The primary method of assessing the quality of candidates' noncognitive attributes at the Oakland University Beaumont Program of Nurse Anesthesia (Royal Oak, Michigan) was by face-to-face interviews. The admissions committee believed that high-fidelity simulation may be a valuable tool to improve the overall admission process. For the 2008 application interview process, high-fidelity simulation was used as a method of simultaneously evaluating candidates' cognitive and noncognitive attributes, in addition to the traditional face-to-face interview. On completion of the admission interview process, a retrospective research design was used to identify a possible correlation between high-fidelity simulation performance scores and other candidate characteristics. The findings of this pilot study revealed a positive correlation between simulation and face-to-face interview scores, suggesting that candidates who exhibited desirable noncognitive attributes in the face-to-face interview also performed well in the simulation environment. The use of high-fidelity simulation as an interview tool may provide an innovative adjunct for admission committees in assessment of candidates.