Part 2: Reforming student selection in nursing education (2015-2021)

The research aims to develop a new national health care education entrance exam that is evidence-based, cost-effective, objective and reliable. The research consists of three phases and five sub-studies:

  1. Structure and content of a new entrance exam to select undergraduate nursing students
  2. The assessment of reasoning skills in nursing student selection
  3. Promoting realistic perception of nursing profession among applicants to nursing education: quasi-experimental intervention study
  4. The assessment of the emotional intelligence in social and health care student selection
  5. Desire to work as a nurse.

Phase I: Definition phase (2015 2020)

The aim of the definition phase

  • is to define the factors that should be assessed in the future on-site student selection in nursing education
  • was to identify reasoning skills to be assessed in nursing student selection
  • to describe the perception of nursing profession among young people and nursing applicants and secondly, to identify factors influencing the perception
  • is to describe the emotional intelligence (EI) of social and health care applicants/students and to study the relationship between EI and study success
  • to evaluate previously developed EI instruments

As the result of the definition phase of seven literature reviews and eleven focus group including professionals (social and health care educators  and students, clinical experts and a nursing association representative) were conducted

  • three main parts of the new selection method were identified, namely, learning and social skills, and certainty of the career choice
  • all eight steps of the clinical reasoning process were identified: Consider the situation, Collect cues and information, Process information, Identify the problem, Establish goals, Take action, Evaluate outcomes and Reflect on the process of action and new learning.
  • young people´s perceptions of the nursing profession include nature of nursing work, contents of nursing work, requirements of nursing profession, nursing as a career choice and characteristics of nurses
  • the EI of social and health care applicants/students and to study the relationship between EI and study success were described
  • the desire to work in nursing was identified by four categories: the nature of work, career opportunities, suitability to nursing, and previous experiences.

Scientific articles:

  • Vierula, J., Haavisto, E., Hupli, M. & Talman, K. The assessment of learning skills in nursing student selection: A scoping review. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 2020; 45(4): 496–512.
  • Vierula, J., Hupli, M., Talman, K. & Haavisto, E. Identifying reasoning skills for the selection of undergraduate nursing students: a focus group study. Contemporary Nurse, 2020: 56(2): 120–131.
  • Glerean, N., Hupli, M., Talman, K., & Haavisto, E. 2017. Young peoples’ perceptions of the nursing profession: An integrative review. Nurse Education Today, 57, 95-102.
  • Glerean, N., Hupli, M., Talman, K., & Haavisto, E. 2019. Percepetion of nursing profession: Focus group interview among applicants to nursing education. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Science 33(2), 390-399.
  • Pienimaa A, Talman K, Haavisto E. The Assessment of Emotional Intelligence in Social- and Health-Care Student Selection: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Educational Research submitted 27.5.2020 (under review)
  • Pienimaa A, Haavisto E, Talman K. Emotional intelligence instruments used in healthcare education: A systematic review. Journal of Nursing Education submitted 24.9.2020 (under review)
  • Talman K, Kanerva A-M, Haavisto E. 2018. Ammattikorkeakoulujen uuden valintakokeen sisältöalueiden määrittely scoping –katsauksena. Teoksessa: Talman K, Borodavkin M, Kanerva A-M, Haavisto. Ammattikorkeakoulujen uuden digitaalisen valintakokeen kehittäminen – määrittelyvaiheen tulokset. Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun Aatos-artikkelit 2/2018, 19-36.

 

Conference abstracts:

  • Pienimaa A, Talman K, Haavisto E. Tunneälyn arviointi sote-alan opiskelijavalinna. XVI Kansallinen hoitotieteellinen konferenssi perustutkimuksesta innovaatioihin hoitotieteessä. Kuopio 30.9.-1.10.2020.
  • Pienimaa A, Haavisto E, Talman K. Tunneälyn yhteys terveysalan koulutuksen opintomenestykseen – systemaattinen katsaus. RENE2019-Symposium. Suullinen esitys.
  • Pienimaa A, Talman K, Haavisto E. Tunneälyn arviointi Sote-alan opiskelijavalinnassa. HTTS konferenssi 2020. E-posteri.
  • Glerean N, Hupli M, Talman K, Haavisto E. Digitaalisen oppimisympäristön kehittäminen
  • osana interventiotutkimusta RENE2019-Symposium, 23.9.2019, Helsinki.
  • Talman K, Hupli M. Haavisto E. Emotional intelligence of nursing applicants and its relation to academic performance. NET2019 Conference, 3.–5.9.2019, Keele University, UK.
  • Vierula J, Hupli M, Talman K, Haavisto E. 2019. Assessment of clinical reasoning skills in the nursing student selection. NET2019 Conference, 3.–5.9.2019, Keele University, UK
  • Vierula J, Hupli M, Talman K, Haavisto E. 2019. Päätöksentekotaitojen arviointi   osana
    sairaanhoitajakoulutuksen opiskelijavalintaa – mittarin pilotointi. RENE2019-Symposium,  23.9.2019, Helsinki.
  • Glerean N, Hupli M, Talman K, Haavisto E. Sairaanhoitajakoulutukseen pyrkivien käsitys
    sairaanhoitajan työstä. XV Kansallinen hoitotieteellinen konferenssi 26.-27.9.2019, Vaasa.
  • Mäntylä H, Haavisto E, Hupli M. Sairaanhoitajakoulutukseen pyrkivien halukkuus tehdä
    sairaanhoitajan työtä. XV Kansallinen hoitotieteellinen konferenssi 26.-27.9.2019, Vaasa
  • Glerean, N., Talman K., Hupli, M., & Haavisto, E. 2018, Perceptions of nursing profession: focus group interview among applicants to nursing education. NET-conference, Cambridge, UK
  • Glerean, N., Talman K., Hupli, M., & Haavisto, E. 2018 Sairaanhoitajakoulutukseen pyrkivien käsitys sairaanhoitajan työstä. Teoksessa Palonen M., Kaunonen M. & Åstedt-Kurki P. (toim) 2018. Konferenssiartikkelit. XV Kansallinen hoitotieteen konferenssi, Åbo Akademi, Vaasa

Phase II: Development phase  (2016- 2021)

The aim of the development phase is

  • to develop and psychometrically test a Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test for undergraduate (bachelor level) nursing student selection is to develop an intervention to influence the perceptions of nursing profession among nursing school applicants
  • to develop a Perception of Nursing Profession Instrument and to test the psychometric properties of the instrument
  • to develop an intervention to influence the perceptions of nursing profession among nursing school applicants
  • to develop the Emotional intelligence instruments (EMI- I) and to test its psychometric properties
  • is to develop the Desire to Work as a Nurse – instrument and to test its psychometric properties

As the result of the development phase, a new selection method and an intervention to influence the perceptions of nursing profession were developed and piloted in the entrance exam.

Scientific publications:

  • Vierula J, Talman K, Hupli M, Engblom J, Laakkonen E, Haavisto E. Reasoning skills (ReSki) instrument for nursing student selection: development process, psychometric and usability testing (submitted)
  • Talman K, Mäntylä H, Hupli M, Kanerva A-M, Haavisto E. Desire to work as a nurse –and testing an instrument (submitted)

Conference abstracts:

  • Glerean Niina, Talman Kirsi, Hupli Maija, Haavisto Elina. Perception of Nursing Profession Instrument (PNPI)- mittarin kehittäminen. Kuopion syksyn konffa – katsotko aikaisemmin lähetetyistä konffa – tiedot
  • Glerean, N., Talman K., Hupli, M., & Haavisto, E. 2019. Digitaalisen oppimisympäristön kehittäminen osana interventiotutkimusta. Rene-symposiumi, Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu, Helsinki.
  • Glerean, N., Talman K., Hupli, M., & Haavisto, E. 2020. Perception of Nursing Profession Instrument (PNPI)-mittarin kehittäminen. Teoksessa Palonen M., Kaunonen M. & Åstedt-Kurki P. (toim) 2020. Konferenssiartikkelit. XVI Kansallinen hoitotieteen konferenssi, Itä-Suomen yliopisto

Phase III: Evaluation phase  (2018- 2021)

The aim of the evaluation phase is

  • is to evaluate the outcomes of the intervention of the perceptions of nursing profession among nursing school applicants
  • to assess nursing applicants’ reasoning skills and factors related to them
  • to evaluate the EI of social and health care applicants and its’ relation to study success
  • to examine undergraduate nursing applicants’ desire to work as a nurse and factors associated with it.

Scientific publications:

  • Vierula J, Hupli M, Engblom J, Laakkonen E, Talman K, Haavisto E. Nursing applicants’ reasoning skills and factors related to it: A cross-sectional study (submitted)

Research group

Elina Haavisto, Professor, PhD, RN, principal investigator 1,2
Kirsi Talman, Post-doc Researcher, PhD, RN, project manager 1
Maija Hupli, University Lecturer, PhD, RN 1
Helena Leino-Kilpi, Professor, PhD, RN 1
Asta Heikkilä, Post-doc Researcher, PhD, RN 1
Aimee Aubeeluck, Associate Professor, PhD, CPsychol. 3
Bob Rankin, PhD, Director 4
Mikko-Jussi Laakso, Adjunct Professor, University research fellow, PhD (tech), Director 5

1 University of Turku, Department of Nursing Science
2 Hospital District of Satakunta
3 University of Nottingham, School of Health Sciences
4 Rankein Scale Ltd, UK
5 University of Turku, Centre for Learning Analytics

Partners

Nina Hahtela, President, Finnish Nurses Association, steering group 2017-2019
Asta Heikkilä, Principal Lecturer, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, steering group 2015-2019
Pirjo Huovila, Degree Programme Manager, Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, steering group 2015-2019
Merja Merasto, President, Finnish Nurses Association, steering group 2015-2016
Eeva-Liisa Moisio, Vice Dean, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, steering group 2015- 2017
Anne-Maria Kanerva, Principal Lecturer, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, steering group 2017-2020
Irmeli Pasanen, Head of Nursing Program, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, 2017- 2018
Maarit Rajaniemi, Head of Nursing Program, Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulainen). Raija Rajala, Head of Emergency Care and Nursing, Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulu). 2018
Eija Nieminen, Lecturer, Student Adviser, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, 2017-2019
Yli-Koivisto Lea, Director, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, steering group 2015-2019

 

Doctoral candidates in the programme:
Niina Glerean
Anne Pienimaa
Jonna Vietula

PhD-research related to topic
Jonna Vierula, Clinical reasoning skills as part of the nursing student selection – Evaluation of the validity of the CliReSki-instrument
Niina Glerean, Promoting perception of nursing profession among applicants via ubiquitos learning environment.
Anne Pienimaa, The assessment of emotional intelligence in social and health care student selection

Master theses related to topic
Niina Glerean, Nursing applicants’ perception of nursing profession.
Henna Mäntylä, The willingness to work as a nurse of the applicants to nursing education. Master´s Thesis. University of Turku, Department of Nursing Science. 2018.
Sanna Ajanko, The assessment of self-directed skills in nursing student selection.