Selection of Undergraduate Nursing Students using Structured Oral Interviews

Abstract

Background: This paper reports on the methods used for the recruitment and selection of the 2006 cohort of candidates applying for a place in the nursing degree offered by an Australian university, and compares those who gained a place with those who did not. Method: Two questionnaires were used to collect data from all applicants before and after an oral assessment (an interview). Results: Initial evaluation and comparison showed there were no significant differences between successful and unsuccessful applicants in their expectations of the program, their career goals, knowing someone who was a nurse, or interest in studying nursing as indicated by application to other university nursing courses. Conclusions: These descriptive data provide valuable information for future longitudinal research. Other universities may find the procedures outlined here informative for their own selection processes.