Key components of holistic admission in schools of nursing: A scoping literature review

Admission to nursing programs traditionally focuses on academic metrics. However, this approach fails to capture the full range of qualities that make a successful nurse. Overemphasis on academic metrics can exclude students with qualities like empathy and communication skills but may not have the highest grades.

The purpose of this work was to identify key components of holistic admission being utilized in pre-licensure, undergraduate nursing programs.

A scoping literature search was conducted using multiple databases, examining peer-reviewed studies published between 2003 and 2023 on holistic admission in U.S. nursing programs. The PRISMA process guided this review, and the QI-MCS appraisal tool was used to review included articles.

Ten quality improvement projects met inclusion criteria and described use of holistic admission implementations across nursing programs. Characteristics beyond academic metrics included experiences, attributes, and potential for contributions to nursing. Long-term outcomes, student support strategies, graduating cohort diversity data, and overall attrition rates were missing.

Holistic admission considers a range of qualities that contribute to the nursing workforce. This review highlights the need for standardizing holistic admission to optimize effectiveness, increase adoption across nursing programs, and develop best practices to support students after holistic admission.