title: Decision precision or holistic heuristic?: Insights on on-site selection of student nurses and midwives.
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.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QG, UK. Electronic address: c.macduff@rgu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macduff
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QG, UK. Electronic address: a.i.stephen@rgu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7QG, UK. Electronic address: ruth.taylor@anglia.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D017144:Focus Groups; D000066506:Heuristics; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012606:Scotland; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Interviewing; Nursing and midwifery; On-site processes; Selection of students