Innovation
A group activity has been designed and implemented to enable observers to identify the attitudes and attributes requisite in professional nursing practice, including personal values of caring and compassion, communication skills, engagement with peers and with a team and leadership qualities. All assessors/ observers are prepared for the role and they include service users, clinicians, final year nursing students and academics.
- Applicants are randomly assigned into groups of 5–8 with at least two assessors/observers.
- The groups are given a question or subject area for discussion from a prepared list; all are focused on issues directly linked to professional nursing.
- The group engages with the task for thirty minutes during which the observers identify evidence and performance against identified criteria, adding brief notes as further evidence of individual achievement. Each grade is numerically scored.
This is in addition to a numeracy assessment plus a written assessment in which students are asked a question regarding a Department of Health (2012) paper entitled Compassion in Practice, which they were asked to read in preparation for the selection day.
All 3 activities are graded and a minimal overall achievement score determines a reject or a progress decision.
What prompted innovation?
The standard of care and the level of compassion and personal values shown by some nurses have been subject to scrutiny and in some instances government inquiry (Francis 2013). Much has been highlighted in the media. Attention has been drawn to personal values of people coming into the profession especially student nurses. The values based recruitment processes responds positively to this and plans are underway to evaluate the effectiveness.
What makes innovation different?
The traditional face to face interview can be prepared for and there is literature highlighting its flaws. The subject of the discussion for the group activity is unknown and therefore presents challenges for the candidates, as they require skills to articulate opinions to a previously unknown group. Unique opportunities to view candidates’ behaviour and values are offered with this method as they engage in what appears to be a relaxed discussion. The written assessment provides another method to assess values.
Changes in practice
- This innovation has resulted in ongoing reviews and changes to all Faculty of Health Sciences selection processes due to its approach of assessing values which is now so relevant to contemporary practice.
- Service users are now increasingly being used for recruitment which provides a helpful perspective on proceedings.
- Practitioners are now more interested in engaging with student nurse selection due to the public focus on contemporary healthcare environments at present.
Impact
This innovation has been in place for two years. To assess the impact of this innovation, it is planned to undertake evaluation of the students’ performance during their third year by reviewing both theoretical and practice assessment results and by exploring practitioners’ perceptions of the students. The first group undertaking this innovation enter their 3rd year in September 2013 which is when methods of evaluation will be established. Employment statistics will be the final data to assess the efficacy of the selection processes.
Dissemination
This innovation is shared with practice partners and stakeholders, the NMC, nursing’s regulatory body and Higher Education Wessex, the local commissioning body.