During my recent visit to the Netherlands I learned that universities there are obliged to offer places to applicants provided that the formal entry requirements are met. So, for applicants to nursing courses, there are no selection events: no interviews, no assessments of aptitude or attitude, no tests in numeracy or literacy. Here in the UK, the NMC (our regulatory body) requires that offers of places on nursing degrees are only extended after face-to-face selections have taken place. The NMC asks that interviews include assessments of motivation, and of reasons for choice of intended field of practice (adult, mental health, children or learning disability). Would-be students are also invited to demonstrate their understanding of the work of nurses. An interesting difference in approaches, I thought.

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