Development, implementation, and outcomes of a nursing holistic admissions process

The purpose of this initiative was to develop, implement, and evaluate outcomes associated with holistic admissions in our Prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (PL-BSN) program. We used the Experiences-Attributes-Metrics (EAM) model to revise our admission process. Holistic admissions were implemented in 2023, giving more weight to experiences and attributes versus grade point average. This article compares outcomes before (2022) and after (2023-2026) implementation. Diversity in the proportion of students of color and students identifying as male has increased since we implemented holistic admissions. The range of minimum grade point averages (GPAs) of admitted applicants broadened, making admission still competitive but more accessible for applicants with valuable experiences but whose GPAs were below 3.7. NCLEX first-time pass rates remained strong at above 90%. No relationship was seen between adopting holistic admissions and progression or retention issues among students admitted using a holistic admission process. NCLEX pass rates demonstrate that admitting students who may be less academically competitive does not jeopardize their learning or ability to succeed in nursing. Holistic admissions can be successfully developed to promote diversity among nursing academic programs.