Representing A Globally Diverse Profession: Implementing A Holistic Interview Process for Applicants
Other Titles
Building A Globally Representative Profession Through A Holistic Interview Process for Applicants [Title Slide]
Abstract
As the national nursing shortage rises across the United States, educators continue to focus on providing quality education and producing competent bedside nurses. However, there remains a lack of diversity in the nursing profession (Breland, 2020). Ensuring a student body is representative of various experiences and personal attributes creates a nursing workforce that more closely reflects the population and is prepared to successfully lead and impact health outcomes equity (Wagner et al., 2020). Implementing holistic interview processes will allow for the evaluation of life experiences and core values demonstrating a more accurate representation of how individuals will practice as professionals (Thompson et al., 2021)
A group of nursing faculty and leaders took a collaborative approach to create a holistic admission process for an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Program. Moving away from a traditional question-and-answer interview process and a heavily weighted academic success model allows for a more comprehensive review of candidates and promotes a decrease in the unconscious bias of the interviewers (Murray, 2020; Noone et al., 2021). A pilot project was implemented using a multi-level interview process with a written essay, video essay, and role-play of the registered nurse for the 2023 cohort of applicants. The written essay portion consisted of questions covering the applicants' hands-on healthcare experience, interactions with healthcare providers, and their community involvement. The video essay portion inquired about the applicant's ability to manage difficult situations, how their core values connect to their purpose, and how they believe nursing will impact their identity. Lastly, the faculty incorporated role-play questions that ask the applicant to consider ethical and cultural awareness by communicating with a variety of patients and family members.
Informal feedback from applicants revealed a positive experience with the revised interview process. Technical issues were not reported which suggested a seamless process. Additionally, surveys were sent to interviewers and revealed support for continuing the revised interview process for future cohorts. Suggestions for improvement for the overall scoring process were implemented for the 2024 cohort interviews. This interview process can be easily replicated across other programs and schools.
Notes
References:
Breland, K. W. (2020). Nurse Educators’ Perceptions of Utilization of Holistic Admissions Review Processes on Diversity of Nursing Student Selection. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
Murray, T. A. (2021). Holistic Admissions: Could You Be Biased? Journal of Nursing Education, 60(8), 427-428. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20210722-01
Noone J, Najjar RH. Minimizing Unconscious Bias in Nursing School Admission. The Journal of nursing education. 2021;60(6):317-323. doi:10.3928/01484834-20210520-03
Thompson T, Sonke A. Multiple Mini Interviews as Part of Holistic Admissions Review for Nursing Schools. Journal of professional nursing. 2021;37(6):1086-1091. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2021.08.009
Wagner R, Maddox KR, Glazer G, Hittle BM. Maximizing Effectiveness of the Holistic Admission Process: Implementing the Multiple Mini Interview Model. Nurse educator. 2020;45(2):73-77. doi:10.1097/NNE.0000000000000702
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Pilot/Exploratory Study
Keywords:
Ethics, Workforce, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Interview and Hiring Process
Recommended Citation
Chovanetz, Courtney; Opton, Laura; Salinas, Irene; and Moellenberg, Kara, "Representing A Globally Diverse Profession: Implementing A Holistic Interview Process for Applicants" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 110.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/110
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Representing A Globally Diverse Profession: Implementing A Holistic Interview Process for Applicants
Seattle, Washington, USA
As the national nursing shortage rises across the United States, educators continue to focus on providing quality education and producing competent bedside nurses. However, there remains a lack of diversity in the nursing profession (Breland, 2020). Ensuring a student body is representative of various experiences and personal attributes creates a nursing workforce that more closely reflects the population and is prepared to successfully lead and impact health outcomes equity (Wagner et al., 2020). Implementing holistic interview processes will allow for the evaluation of life experiences and core values demonstrating a more accurate representation of how individuals will practice as professionals (Thompson et al., 2021)
A group of nursing faculty and leaders took a collaborative approach to create a holistic admission process for an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) Program. Moving away from a traditional question-and-answer interview process and a heavily weighted academic success model allows for a more comprehensive review of candidates and promotes a decrease in the unconscious bias of the interviewers (Murray, 2020; Noone et al., 2021). A pilot project was implemented using a multi-level interview process with a written essay, video essay, and role-play of the registered nurse for the 2023 cohort of applicants. The written essay portion consisted of questions covering the applicants' hands-on healthcare experience, interactions with healthcare providers, and their community involvement. The video essay portion inquired about the applicant's ability to manage difficult situations, how their core values connect to their purpose, and how they believe nursing will impact their identity. Lastly, the faculty incorporated role-play questions that ask the applicant to consider ethical and cultural awareness by communicating with a variety of patients and family members.
Informal feedback from applicants revealed a positive experience with the revised interview process. Technical issues were not reported which suggested a seamless process. Additionally, surveys were sent to interviewers and revealed support for continuing the revised interview process for future cohorts. Suggestions for improvement for the overall scoring process were implemented for the 2024 cohort interviews. This interview process can be easily replicated across other programs and schools.
Description
Ensuring future nursing leaders and the workforce reflect the population served begins with admitting students who possess a variety of qualities and attributes, many of which cannot be measured by quantitative measures alone. A pilot project was implemented using a multi-level interview process in an undergraduate Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to steer away from a heavily weighted academic success model and allow for a decrease in interviewers' unconscious bias.