Abstract
At a critical time of nursing shortages, nursing programs must examine admission gatekeeping practices. The two common admission metrics, grade point average (GPA) and entrance exam scores, are inconsistently supported in the literature, particularly within the understudied population of practical nursing students. This quantitative, retrospective, correlational study examined the relationship between admission criteria and three measures of practical nursing student success: on-time first-semester completion, on-time program completion, and first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate. Data were collected from historical records of five cohorts of practical nursing students (n = 94) at a medium-sized community college from Fall 2020 to Fall 2024. Point-biserial correlations and binary and multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationships and predictive validity of the pre-program GPA, individual pre-program course grades, ATI TEAS composite and subscale scores, and three student success outcomes. Composite GPA and composite TEAS score were not significantly associated with any student success outcome. Within the multiple regression model, only the TEAS Reading subscale score reached significance for first-semester completion, though the overall model was not statistically significant. College Composition I emerged as a statistically significant predictor of first-semester completion, and the overall pre-program course model was statistically significant. The near-perfect NCLEX-PN pass rate (98.7%) precluded inferential analysis. Findings, interpreted through Lewin’s Gatekeeping Theory, suggest that current admission criteria may not correctly identify the competencies most predictive of practical nursing student success.
Date Dissertation Completed
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education
Department
Education Studies
Dissertation Advisor
Joel J. Traver
Dissertation Committee Members
Joel J. Traver, Amy Reitmaier, Nicholas Wysocki
Location
Winona, Minnesota; United States
Recommended Citation
Fenlason, Kristen, "From Admission to Achievement: Evaluating the Predictive Validity of Entrance Exams and Grade Point Average in Nursing Education" (2026). Education Doctorate Dissertations. 33.
https://openriver.winona.edu/educationedddissertations/33
Unique Identifier
WSUEDD-2026-Kristen-Fenlason-Dissertation
Rights
All rights reserved by the author.
