Jul 2026· Journal of Saidu Medical College· Vol 16· 0 citations
TL;DR
Undergraduate nursing students generally perceived OSCE and OSPE as valuable educational and assessment strategies that facilitate competency development and clinical preparedness, Nevertheless, concerns regarding examination logistics, transparency of grading, and examination-related stress require institutional attention.
Abstract
Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) are competency-based assessment methods used to evaluate clinical knowledge, psychomotor skills, communication, and professional competence in nursing education. Compared with traditional assessment methods, they offer greater objectivity, standardization, and reliability.
Objective: To explore undergraduate nursing students' perceptions and experiences regarding the use of OSCE and OSPE as clinical assessment methods in nursing education.
Methodology: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted among Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at Northwest Nursing College and NCS University System, Peshawar, Pakistan. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling based on prior OSCE and OSPE experience. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted from March to April 2024 until data saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was enhanced through reflexive journaling, researcher triangulation, member checking, peer debriefing, and an audit trail.
Results: Eight undergraduate nursing students participated. Six major themes emerged: promotion of learning, development of clinical confidence, perceived limitations, examination-related stressors, coping strategies, and perspectives on grading. Participants considered OSCE and OSPE effective for promoting active learning, improving psychomotor skills, and enhancing clinical confidence. However, they reported challenges related to examination organization, limited resources, scheduling delays, examiner behavior, perceived grading inequities, and psychological stress. Students managed these challenges through preparation, self-confidence, and prior clinical exposure.
Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students generally perceived OSCE and OSPE as valuable educational and assessment strategies that facilitate competency development and clinical preparedness. Nevertheless, concerns regarding examination logistics, transparency of grading, and examination-related stress require institutional attention.
Keywords: Clinical Competence, Nursing Education, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Objective Structured Practical Examination, Pakistan, Qualitative Research, Undergraduate Nursing Students.
Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been widely adopted in health professions education because of its objectivity, standardisation, and structured approach to assessing clinical competence. Despite its widespread use, limited evidence exists regarding nursing students’ perceptions of the OSCE, its perceived efficacy, and the factors influencing their performance.
Aim: To assess nursing students’ perceptions, perceived efficacy, and factors influencing performance in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination.
Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 135 nursing students in 300–500 levels who had prior OSCE experience at the University of Ibadan. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire adapted from validated instruments and administered through Google Forms. The questionnaire assessed respondents’ demographic characteristics, perceptions of the OSCE, perceived efficacy, and factors influencing performance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and Fisher’s exact test at a 5% level of significance (α = .05).
Findings: The respondents had a mean age of 22.96 ± 1.86 years, and the majority were female (83.7%). Most respondents perceived the OSCE as a fair method of assessment (65.9%). Participants reported that the OSCE effectively assessed a broad range of clinical skills (73.3%) and aligned well with taught course content (69.6%). Major factors influencing performance included examiner behaviour (73.3%), examination anxiety (94.8%), inadequate time allocation (82.2%), and improvised equipment (83.0%). Time allocation (p = .037) and content load (p = .028) were significantly associated with students' perceptions of OSCE performance.
Conclusion: The OSCE is perceived as an effective and objective method for assessing clinical competence among nursing students. However, inadequate time allocation, unfavourable examiner behaviour, examination anxiety, and insufficient resources may adversely affect students' performance and the overall effectiveness of the examination.
Recommendation: Nursing education institutions should strengthen examiner training, ensure adequate availability of standard equipment and materials, optimise time allocation for OSCE stations, and review checklist structures to improve assessment quality, enhance students' performance, and promote clinical competence.
Keywords: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), clinical competence, efficacy, influencing factors, nursing students, perception.
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a performance-based assessment method widely utilized in health professions education to evaluate clinical competence. However, understanding how practicing nurses experience this structured evaluation in clinical settings is essential for improving its implementation and educational value. This study aimed to explore nurses’ lived experiences of the OSCE exam.
A qualitative content analysis design was conducted at Imam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran. Fourteen registered nurses were selected using purposeful sampling with maximum variation to capture diverse clinical perspectives. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively using conventional qualitative content analysis. MAXQDA software was used for data organization and management.
Analysis of the data revealed eight main themes: (1) meaning of the OSCE, (2) personal experience with the OSCE, (3) impact of the OSCE on professional performance, (4) challenges of OSCE implementation, (5) the OSCE in the teaching-learning process, (6) advantages and disadvantages of the OSCE, (7) expectations from the OSCE, and (8) suggestions for improvement. While participants recognized the OSCE as a highly comprehensive and educational tool that links theory to clinical practice, they also highlighted significant operational challenges, including physical fatigue, long waiting times, and stress related to station scheduling.
Nurses perceive the OSCE as a valuable educational approach for reviewing clinical knowledge and verifying competencies. However, its effectiveness is heavily influenced by scheduling, organization, and station design. Aligning stations with ward-specific clinical demands and managing participant fatigue are critical to maximizing the educational and assessment utility of the OSCE.
Not applicable.
P. Majidipour, Saeed Jameh Shourani, Parvaneh Asadi et al.· BMC Nursing· 0 citations
Background The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is widely used to assess clinical competence, but evidence on students’ perceptions of its quality, fairness, and outcomes is limited in Somalia. This study assessed undergraduate health-science students’ perceptions of the OSCE at Citycot University, Bosaso. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 students enrolled in Nursing, Midwifery, Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Nutrition, and Clinical Officer programmes. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire covering seven domains: station quality, process and preparation, physical environment, perceived discrepancies, fairness and validity, examination stress, and OSCE outcomes and acceptance. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, and multivariable linear regression with robust standard errors were used. Results All 400 questionnaires were returned and included in the analysis. Overall OSCE outcomes and acceptance had the highest mean score (3.84 ± 1.13), followed by fairness and validity (3.76 ± 1.05), process and preparation (3.64 ± 1.06), physical environment (3.63 ± 1.04), and station quality (3.47 ± 0.97). Examination stress was moderate (3.21 ± 1.22), while perceived discrepancies had the lowest mean score (2.72 ± 1.07). Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.69 to 0.85. The process and preparation domain was strongly correlated with fairness and validity (r = 0.72), while OSCE outcomes were correlated with both process and preparation and fairness and validity (r = 0.69 for each). Prior OSCE exposure was associated with higher examination stress. Conclusion Students generally perceived the OSCE as a fair and acceptable method of clinical assessment. Improving preparation, station quality, examination conditions, and psychological support may enhance students’ OSCE experiences and perceived outcomes.
Ismail Mahamoud Yousuf, Abdihakim Hussien Osman, Y. Jama et al.· Open Research Africa· 0 citations
Less than half of educators have had a good OSCE implementation, and issues such as poor organization and planning, perceptions towards OSCE, shortage of resources and insufficient number and duration of the station were found by qualitative study.
Introduction
Hospital clinical placements constitute a fundamental component of nursing education, enabling students to integrate theoretical knowledge, develop clinical competencies, and form a professional identity. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), nursing students' lived experiences and perceptions during hospital placements remain underdocumented.
Purpose
To explore the perceptions, lived experiences, challenges, and learning opportunities of nursing students at the Higher Institute of Medical Techniques of Kinshasa (ISTM-Kinshasa) during hospital-based clinical placements.
Methods
A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 24 undergraduate nursing students (L1 to L3) who had completed at least one hospital clinical placement. Participants were selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's framework.
Results
Six major themes emerged: (1) perceptions of clinical placements as learning opportunities; (2) organizational and material challenges; (3) emotional responses and coping strategies; (4) supervisory dynamics and staff relationships; (5) theory–practice gap; and (6) student expectations and recommendations. While students acknowledged placements as essential for practical skill acquisition and professional identity formation, systemic constraints—such as equipment shortages, inadequate preceptor ratios, high patient loads, and variable supervision quality—hindered their learning.
Conclusion
Optimizing clinical nursing education at ISTM-Kinshasa requires structured preceptor training, provision of essential clinical supplies, harmonized clinical evaluation tools, and improved academic-clinical partnerships.
Pharmacy students highly valued IPE and highlighted that an early, structured, and longitudinal integration of IPE in the curriculum is necessary to enhance collaborative competencies and professional development.
Nurul Athirah Hasdan, Ahmed Osman Ahmed Mohamed Yehia Naguib, Nor Hidayah Mohd Taufek· The Journal of pharmacy· 0 citations
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