A study of the validity of the Psychological Corporation Entrance Examination for schools of nursing as a selection tool and predictor of success for nursing candidates: a research project

Winsor, Ina Velda (1974) A study of the validity of the Psychological Corporation Entrance Examination for schools of nursing as a selection tool and predictor of success for nursing candidates: a research project. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The purpose of this research project was to determine whether the Psychological Corporation Entrance Examination for Schools of Nursing is a valid instrument for predicting success in a nursing education diploma program. The study attempted to establish the extent to which the PCEE battery as a whole, and each of its subtests, discriminates between nursing applicants who are most and least likely to succeed in the nursing program. Success in nursing was defined in terms of the student’s academic performance in the nursing program and registration examinations. -- The research involved a study of 296 nursing students who were accepted into a hospital school of nursing diploma program during the years 1967-70, inclusive. These students wrote the PCEE after admission into the school it was not included as part of the selection procedure. -- Two main groups were originally identified from the total sample. The successful candidates were designated as the Validation Group, and the unsuccessful candidates as the Withdrawal Group. The Withdrawal Group was subsequently divided into two subgroups. Those who withdrew because of academic failure were called Academic Withdrawals. Those who withdrew for reasons other than academic were known as Non-academic Withdrawals. -- A comparison of these three groups indicated a marked similarity between the Validation and Non-academic Withdrawal Groups on all thirteen subtests of the PCEE, while the Academic Withdrawals showed significantly lower scores on the Ability measures, but very little difference on the Personality measures. Based on this similarity, it was hypothesized that the Non-academic Withdrawal Group could be considered as potentially successful students. The Non-academic Withdrawals were consequently included in the Validation Group, forming a Composite Validation Group of 262 subjects. Comparisons were then made between the Composite Validation Group and Academic Withdrawal Group on the thirteen PCEE subtests. -- The data from both groups were subjected to analysis of variance and discriminant analysis. The analysis indicated that the Composite Validation Group could be discriminated from the Academic Withdrawal Group on six of the seven Ability measures, and one of the six Personality measures. These seven statistically significant variables were considered to be the measures that would discriminate between potentially successful, and academically unsuccessful, candidates. The most important discriminants were the Scholastic Aptitude Total (SAT), Verbal Ability, Science, and Numerical Ability, accounting for about 96 percent of the between groups variance. -- The efficiency of the discrimination was examined for two decision situations. The first decision situation minimized the total number of errors in classification without regard to the type of error being made. In this situation all the applicants passing the initial selection procedures were classified as successful. This would mean that all students in the Academic Withdrawal Group would be admitted to the school of nursing. No applicant would be rejected, and errors of classification would be made in 11.6 percent of the cases considered in the total applicant group. The second decision situation was designed to minimize the false acceptance of applicants. In this situation a cutoff discriminant score was selected to ensure the rejection of 67 percent of the applicant group was incorrectly classified. -- The results of this research project indicate that the PCEE does possess limited usefulness as an applicant screening instrument. The Personality measures are of little value in the selection process. The scores on the Academic Ability measures of the test, however, are of value in indicating which applicants are most likely to succeed in the nursing program. In general, students with low Ability scores are not good admission risks, while applicants who score high on the Ability measures are more likely to be successful in the nursing program and on registration examinations.

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