Non-academic admission criterion of certified nursing assistant status for undergraduate nursing programs: A comparative case study.

Abstract

The number of nursing program graduates does not meet the current demand for nurses. Program faculty relies on the predictive power of admission criteria to admit students who will be successful. Non-academic admission criteria, such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) status, should be considered to complement academic criteria. This study aimed to explore nursing students' perceptions and clinical faculty of the non-academic prerequisite of CNA status as an admission criterion. First-year students' preparedness for the clinical setting, self-confidence, and anxiety in clinical decision making (CDM) was considered. A multi-methods comparative case study design was utilized. The setting was two undergraduate baccalaureate nursing programs. Nine faculty and 54 students participated in the study. The researcher collected data through interviews with the participants, observations, document analysis, field notes, and self-report on the Nursing Anxiety and Self-Confidence with Clinical Decision Making (NASC-CDM) scale. Three themes emerged from the interview data: (a) student preparedness, (b) student learning, and (c) student program success. No statistically significant differences in student anxiety or self-confidence were found in the NASC-CDM scale. The investigation of CNA status could be an essential aspect of the undergraduate nursing program admission process.