Preadmission characteristics of advanced practice nursing students.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the nature of prerequisite experiences of applicants to nurse practitioner (NP) and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) programs that faculty believe are necessary for success in graduate nursing programs.


METHODS
An exploratory descriptive study based on findings from four focus groups of faculty from four different universities and a written survey mailed to program or admissions directors of a random sample of 50% of the 295 credentialed NP or CRNA programs in the United States.


CONCLUSIONS
Themes from the focus groups revealed 20 personal characteristics, 14 professional characteristics, and 9 clinical skills, all of which were used to create a survey instrument. A 33% response rate was achieved (n = 48). Personal characteristics were considered most important, professional characteristics and clinical skills moderately important, and kinds of clinical experience of lesser importance. Length of desired experience ranged from 0 to 5 years, most often 2 years. The most important characteristic under personal was "ethical;" under professional, "clinically competent;" under clinical, "interpersonal communication;" and under clinical experience, "to work in a setting with MD-RN interaction."


CONCLUSIONS
Information from this study may be useful for examining admissions policies of advanced practice graduate programs. Faculty were able to articulate the characteristics, proficiencies, and experiences that are likely to produce success in NP and CRNA programs. These desired characteristics need to be translated into meaningful criteria for admission.
Crosby
Frances E
FE
Niagara University College of Nursing, New York, USA. francrosby@yahoo.com
Dunn
Joan Dolce
JD
Fallacaro
Michael D
MD
Jozwiak-Shields
Connie
C
Maclsaac
Ann Marie
AM
D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009042:Motivation; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States