Selecting potential nurses: a review of the methods

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Psychology
• Human Resources

Background:

• Systematic personnel selection is standard in industry and National Health Service (NHS) management.
• Nurses represent a significant NHS workforce group, with substantial training costs.
• Current student nurse selection appears inconsistent and subjective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on personnel selection in the context of nurse education.
• To examine the discrepancy between modern selection practices and those used for student nurses.
• To question the continued use of subjective selection methods in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of personnel selection strategies.
• Analysis of occupational psychology and personnel management principles.
• Comparative analysis of selection methods in general management versus nursing.

Main Results:

• Industry and NHS management utilize dynamic, systematic selection methods.
• Student nurse selection relies on inconsistent and subjective criteria.
• Significant investment in nurse training is not matched by rigorous selection.

Conclusions:

• Nursing education selection methods are outdated and subjective.
• Systematic personnel selection is crucial for effective workforce development.
• There is a need to adopt evidence-based selection practices in nursing recruitment.