Integrating Implicit Bias Training for Undergraduate Holistic Admission Reviewers.

Abstract

The need to create a diverse nursing work-force has increased the use of a holistic admission process across the country. Holistic admission processes alone are insufficient to addressing bias that may have unintentional impact on the review process. Intentionality with implicit bias training is necessary to create a more equitable admission process. Integration of implicit bias training was multipronged and included overview information and individual activities, including the practice of reviewing applicants. Data from the practice reviews were aggregated and used for small group discussion. Since integration of implicit bias training, overall admission rates for underrepresented racial and ethnic applicants increased from 14.5% in 2019 to 29.1% in 2022. While other factors cannot be ruled out in contributing to the increased diversity, the integration of implicit bias education and bias-mitigating strategies throughout the required training for holistic admission reviewers is beneficial to increasing diversity in nursing admissions. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].