Decision precision or holistic heuristic? Insights on on-site selection of student nurses and midwives.

Macduff, Colin; Stephen, Audrey; Taylor, Ruth

Abstract

Concerns about quality of care delivery in the UK have led to more scrutiny of criteria and methods for the selection of student nurses. However few substantive research studies of on-site selection processes exist. This study elicited and interpreted perspectives on interviewing processes and related decision making involved in on-site selection of student nurses and midwives. Individual and focus group interviews were undertaken with 36 lecturers, 5 clinical staff and 72 students from seven Scottish universities. Enquiry focused primarily on interviewing of candidates on-site. Qualitative content analysis was used as a primary strategy, followed by in-depth thematic analysis. Students had very mixed experiences of interview processes. Staff typically took into account a range of candidate attributes that they valued in order to achieve holistic assessments. These included: interpersonal skills, team working, confidence, problem-solving, aptitude for caring, motivations, and commitment. Staff had mixed views of the validity and reliability of interview processes. A holistic heuristic for overall decision making predominated over belief in the precision of, and evidence base for, particular attribute measurement processes. While the development of measurement tools for particular attributes continues apace, tension between holism and precision is likely to persist within on-site selection procedures.

Citation

MACDUFF, C., STEPHEN, A. and TAYLOR, R. 2016. Decision precision or holistic heuristic? Insights on on-site selection of student nurses and midwives. Nurse education in practice [online], 16(1), pages 40-46. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2015.06.008

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 28, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jul 6, 2015
• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2016
• Deposit Date: Feb 29, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 7, 2016
• Journal: Nurse Education in Practice
• Print ISSN: 1471-5953
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5223
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 40-46
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2015.06.008
• Keywords: Selection of students; Nursing and midwifery; Onsite processes; Interviewing
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1396