Does reading ability predict student success? A scoping review

Objectives: Nursing students do not only have to understand the content they read, but they must also analyze, synthesize, and think critically as these skills are required for success in clinical practice. This review investigates if testing reading in students can predict outcomes of student success in nursing programs. Design: A scoping review of the literature on reading assessments in nursing education. Data sources: Databases explored included CINAHL, ERIC, and MEDLINE and included English language papers published from January 2001 to November 2022. Review methods: Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methods informed this review. Results: Data were extracted from 34 full text papers and dissertations. All papers examined reading as an independent predictor of outcomes such as NCLEX-RN success, program completion, or early program success. Various reading tests delivered at admission were more likely to predict proximal outcomes such as early program success rather than more distal outcomes such as NCLEX-RN failure or program completion. Conclusion: Reading assessments are effective predictors of a student's potential for academic success in nursing programs which has many implications for admission and progression policies. Many areas for future research are proposed including examining the developmental nature of reading improvement across nursing programs, development of reading interventions, and building faculty capacity for reading support. This body of literature said very little about the impact of race and racism on reading as they relate to academic outcomes which also must receive attention in future research.