IDENTIFYING THE COMPONENTS FOR INVESTIGATION OF THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF NURSING APPLICANTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Cognitive ability is an important criterion in selecting a nursing student, but
unfortunately, this criterion is not considered among nursing applicants. There is a lack of clarity about
the components which would signify appropriate cognitive abilities among nursing student candidates.
This study was conducted to identify such components based on the experiences of clinical nurses and
nursing instructors.
Materials & Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using conventional content analysis
approach. Participants were 25 nurses and nursing instructors. They were selected through purposive
sampling. Data were collected in audio-recorded and transcribed semi-structured interviews and were
analyzed using MAXQDA10 software.
Results: Analysis revealed three main categories and seven subcategories: having a deep insight into
challenging situations (Investigating the root causes of problems, the ability to analyze a situation), mind
organizing (Conscious attention, Maintaining the mental focus, Time management and work
prioritization), and speed of mental processing (Fast operation along with accuracy, Quick perception).
Conclusion: This study identified core components for future investigations into the cognitive ability
of nursing applicants. Findings of this study can be used by nursing education institutions to develop
their current methods to assess the cognitive ability of nursing applicants in the student selection process