The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) has been shown to be a valid method of assessing clinical competence in medical and nursing specialties. When used effectively, OSCEs accurately reflect nurses’ competence and help nurses gain confidence in using their skills in their clinical work. We sought to determine the impact of an OSCE on the clinical competence of novice nursing practitioners (NNPs). This work aimed to develop an OSCE to evaluate NNPs’ clinical competency, work stress, professional confidence, and satisfaction.
Methods:
The participants were 55 NNPs who were working at the hospital where the study was conducted. The NNPs were enrolled to receive an OSCE after the first three months of starting their careers. The OSCE consisted of four stations. NNPs performed different skills, including history taking, a complete physical examination, problem-directed management, interpersonal communication, and required procedure techniques. Examiners at each station completed an assessment checklist for each participant, and the NNPs completed a questionnaire evaluating the program immediately after completing the OSCE.
Results:
Among the NNPs, 41 of them (74.5%) passed the exam with a mean score of 61.38 ± 8.34. There was a significantly higher pass rate among nurses working in medical-surgical wards (85.7%) and the intensive care unit-emergency department (77.8%) compared to NNPs working in other units. All the NNPs at Station A had lower performance, which assessed care for patients with a fever. OSCE performance was associated with educational attainment and work unit, but not with the gender. Finally, the participants showed statistically significant increases in their clinical competency, confidence in their professional competence, and their satisfaction with clinical practice, and decreased work stress after the OSCE.
Conclusion:
The study found that the OSCE process had a positive educational influence and may provide a meaningful, accurate assessment of the competence, and helps NNPs gain confidence and improve their clinical skills. In the long term, such acclimatization is necessary to guarantee a high degree of patient care quality and a high retention rate of hospital nurses.