Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 3

Written Answers. - Nurse Training.

Richard Bruton

Question:

29 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the complaints, if any, he has received regarding the new screening tests applied to selecting recruits to the nursing profession; the professional input, if any, which was made into the design of these tests; whether he has satisfied himself that there is robust evidence that such screening tests are a satisfactory basis for selection compared to the traditional interview approach which allows the full range of an individual's experience and aptitude to be explored; and the plans, if any, he has to review the system in respect of deciding on the mechanism to apply in 1998. [15314/97]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The Deputy is presumably referring to the application and selection process operated by the Nursing Applications Centre for this year's intake of student nurses to the nursing registration-diploma programmes.

The Nursing Applications Centre was established on a pilot basis in 1995 to provide a national centralised application and selection system for applicants seeking places on the new preregistration nursing registration-diploma programmes. Price Waterhouse management consultants are currently carrying out an evaluation of the centre with the overall aim of ensuring that the most up-to-date application and selection procedures are employed, with continued maximum equity and effectiveness. As part of this evaluation, Price Waterhouse project managed the application-selection process for the 1997 intake of student nurses. It was assisted in this task by the Local Appointments Commission.

A number of modifications to the procedures employed in previous years were introduced this year with the objective of streamlining the application-selection process. These included the replacement of the preliminary interview by a written assessment test. I am aware that concerns have been expressed in some quarters about this particular change in the selection process. However, my Department has been informed by Price Waterhouse that the decision to substitute a written assessment test for the preliminary interview is supported by a body of independent research which indicates that carefully chosen ability testing programmes as a method of shortlisting candidates for the final interview stage from large scale applications is a fairer and more equitable system than using a large number of preliminary interview boards. In this context, the Deputy may be aware that assessment tests are used for screening applicants for entry to the Garda Síochána, the prison services and the officer ranks of the Defence Forces.

The tests used this year were selected by Price Waterhouse in consultation with professionals from the Local Appointments Commission, and took account of the core competencies and characteristics required of student nurses, as identified in workshops attended by senior nurse managers and tutors. The tests used were the subject of a prior validation study undertaken by Price Waterhouse in a number of schools of nursing around the country in which student nurses participated.

The suitability of those applicants who successfully came through the written assessment test was subsequently decided by interview boards composed of a matron-director of nursing, a senior nurse tutor and an independent chairperson nominated by the Local Appointments Commission.

The 1997 intake of student nurses to the nursing registration-diploma programmes has now been completed and Price Waterhouse will shortly report to my Department on its evaluation of the Nursing Applications Centre. Decisions as to the future operations of the centre, including the procedures employed by it, will be made in the light of the recommendations contained in the management consultants' report, which will, no doubt, be informed by their experience of project managing this year's application-selection process.