An objective selection system to identify the qualities for a career in nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education and Professional Development
• Healthcare Workforce Selection and Assessment

Background:

• The National Health Service (NHS) commissioned a research program to identify key qualities of successful nurses.
• Existing selection methods for nursing candidates lacked objectivity and a clear definition of desired professional attributes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the characteristics of successful nurses.
• To introduce and evaluate a structured interview designed to objectively measure these qualities in nursing applicants.
• To assess the applicant experience and perceived objectivity of the structured interview.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of a structured interview by SRI Limited to assess nursing candidate qualities.
• Piloting the structured interview as a selection aid at Bloomsbury and Islington College of Nursing and Midwifery over three years.
• Conducting a survey with selected applicants to gather feedback on their experience with the structured interview.

Main Results:

• The structured interview was piloted successfully as an aid for student nurse selection.
• Survey results indicated that applicants perceived the structured interview as a positive experience.
• A majority of applicants viewed the interview as a more objective selection method compared to previous experiences.

Conclusions:

• The structured interview shows potential as a valuable, objective tool for selecting student nurses.
• This method may help identify individuals with a higher likelihood of finding fulfillment in the nursing profession.
• Further research can validate its effectiveness in objectively identifying potential successful nurses.