Value of admission interviews in selecting of undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

The attrition of students in the undergraduate nursing program was evaluated. The value of the admission interview and its preferred nature were assessed by questionnaires filled by candidates and faculty.

FINDINGS

It was found that although interviewing was only partially effective in screening potential drop-outs, including those who left the programme on non-academic grounds, without interviews the attrition rate increased. Personal interviews accounted for a somewhat lower attrition rate than the unanimously preferred group interviews.

CONCLUSION

The process of choosing candidates to nursing programmes requires new thinking, as high attrition rates are not prevented by interviews. More research into the proper mechanism of student selection is needed.