HUMAN CAPITAL ASSESSMENT INDICATORS AS INFLUENTIAL DETERMINANTS PERTAINING TO THE ADMISSION CRITERIA UTILIZED BY PRE-LICENSURE PROGRAMS FOR NURSING EDUCATION

摘要

The attainment of educational credentials contributes to the acquisition of human capital. Academic preparedness is a component therein that allows for the attainment of increased levels of education. Most institutions of higher education utilize measures of academic preparedness, such as grade point averages or standardized tests. Requirements for the levels of academic preparedness are based upon many factors. The requirements most relevant to this study are the selectivity of the institution and the academic preparedness of potential candidates of pre-licensure programs for nursing education. udThe pre-licensure education of nurses is enigmatic when compared to other professional disciplines. Pre-licensure education for registered nurses exists in three distinct and differently classified programs: a hospital-based diploma program, an associate degree program, or a baccalaureate program. (There is an additional baccalaureate program, known as accelerated second degree programs, for students possessing a baccalaureate degree in another discipline. These accelerated programs are not included in this discussion.) The National Center for Education Statistics classifies each of the three programs, making clear that the differing program levels of post-secondary education are neither equivalent nor interchangeable. udAccording to the literature, the academic preparedness of individuals and the level of selectivity of higher education institutions vary greatly depending upon the particular classification of nursing program. What then, is the level of programmatic selectivity, given that all three pre-licensure programs produce candidates for the identical occupational certification while attracting candidates known to have varying levels of academic preparedness? This study aimed to determine the levels of selectivity of the three pre-licensure nursing education programs types so as identify trends and patterns within and across pre-licensure program types. In order to determine these trends and patterns, the author examined the admissions requirements that are transparent to the public on schools’ websites in which these programs are housed, employing the methodology of document analysis. The determination for the level of selectivity was based upon Barron’s Measure of Selectivity (Barron’s Educational Series, 2011). ud