TY - JOUR
T1 - Nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them
T2 - A cross-sectional study
AU - Vierula, Jonna
AU - Hupli, Maija
AU - Engblom, Janne
AU - Laakkonen, Eero
AU - Talman, Kirsi
AU - Haavisto, Elina
N1 - Funding Information:
Data analysis and writing of the manuscript were supported by a doctoral grant from the not-for-profit sector of The Finnish Nursing Education Foundation and The Finnish Association of Nursing Research.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Background: The assessment of reasoning skills is recommended in undergraduate nursing student selection. Reasoning skills are crucial for sound decision-making, improving patient safety and are necessary from the very beginning of studies. Nursing applicants' reasoning skills based on the reasoning process have not been previously measured. Objectives: To assess undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants: Undergraduate nursing applicants (n = 1056, response rate 55.4%), who consented to the study and performed a joint electronic entrance examination to six Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in spring 2019, participated in the study. Methods: The Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test, based on the steps of the reasoning process, was used, comprising three question sections (collecting information, processing information, and identifying the problem and establishing goals). Background variables were collected through a questionnaire and the Positive System Usability Scale (P-SUS). The data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and analysis of covariance with Tukey's test in post-hoc multiple group comparisons. Results: Applicants' total reasoning skills mean scores were above the centre of the range of possible scores (2.72/4.5, SD = 0.80). The applicants scored higher in collecting and processing information than in identifying the problem and establishing goals. Standard deviations demonstrated variance between the applicants' ability. Age, gender, and previous education were statistically significantly related to applicants' reasoning skills. Previous work experience was statistically significantly related to success only in the step of identifying the problem and establishing goals. Conclusions: Nursing applicants' reasoning skills vary in the student selection phase. Applicants are less able to identify the problem and establish goals than to collect and process information. Vocational education does not necessarily develop adequate reasoning skills and thus prepare students for higher education studies. The results have implications for educational institutions and further research.
AB - Background: The assessment of reasoning skills is recommended in undergraduate nursing student selection. Reasoning skills are crucial for sound decision-making, improving patient safety and are necessary from the very beginning of studies. Nursing applicants' reasoning skills based on the reasoning process have not been previously measured. Objectives: To assess undergraduate nursing applicants' reasoning skills and factors related to them. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting and participants: Undergraduate nursing applicants (n = 1056, response rate 55.4%), who consented to the study and performed a joint electronic entrance examination to six Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences in spring 2019, participated in the study. Methods: The Reasoning Skills (ReSki) test, based on the steps of the reasoning process, was used, comprising three question sections (collecting information, processing information, and identifying the problem and establishing goals). Background variables were collected through a questionnaire and the Positive System Usability Scale (P-SUS). The data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and analysis of covariance with Tukey's test in post-hoc multiple group comparisons. Results: Applicants' total reasoning skills mean scores were above the centre of the range of possible scores (2.72/4.5, SD = 0.80). The applicants scored higher in collecting and processing information than in identifying the problem and establishing goals. Standard deviations demonstrated variance between the applicants' ability. Age, gender, and previous education were statistically significantly related to applicants' reasoning skills. Previous work experience was statistically significantly related to success only in the step of identifying the problem and establishing goals. Conclusions: Nursing applicants' reasoning skills vary in the student selection phase. Applicants are less able to identify the problem and establish goals than to collect and process information. Vocational education does not necessarily develop adequate reasoning skills and thus prepare students for higher education studies. The results have implications for educational institutions and further research.
KW - Cross sectional studies
KW - Nursing education
KW - Reasoning
KW - Skills
KW - Student selection
KW - Students
KW - Undergraduate
U2 - 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104890
DO - 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104890
M3 - Article
C2 - 33865188
AN - SCOPUS:85104080745
SN - 0260-6917
VL - 101
JO - Nurse Education Today
JF - Nurse Education Today
M1 - 104890
ER -