Student Recruitment: A Framework developed through A Multi-phased, Multi-method Process Planning Approach

Abstract

Widening the access to higher education as a response to the global shortage of health care workers necessitates a framework to recruit quality students for professions in the health sciences. The aim is to describe the development of a framework to aid with the recruitment of nursing students, but can also be utilised in the wider higher-education community. A multi-phased, descriptive, explorative and sequential multi-method research design, using an adapted version of the process planning model by Zuber- Skerritt, was utilised. National and international nurse educators participated in the study. The challenges identified and confirmed during three phases were interpreted and a generic framework for student recruitment was developed. This recruitment framework was validated. The article notes that the recruitment framework can be adjusted,  implemented, evaluated and reviewed by different institutions in order to customise such framework to their own particular contexts.

Keywords: health professionals shortage; higher education and training; nursing education institution; recruitment framework; service provider; student recruitment