An exploration of student midwives' experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment process

Abstract

Abstract:This paper reports on a qualitative descriptive study that explored student midwives experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment process for obstetric emergencies within a university setting. The development of fundamental clinical skills is an important component in preparing students to meet the responsibilities of a midwife. There is an international concern that the transfer of midwifery education into universities may impact on the development of midwifery clinical skills. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have the potential to promote integration and consolidation of skills prior to clinical placement. Twenty six students (n=36) from two midwifery programmes (BSc and Higher Diploma) participated in four focus groups and Burnard's (2006) framework was used for data analysis. Three main themes emerged following analysis: Preparation for the OSCE assessment, the OSCE process and Learning through simulating practice. Preparation for the OSCE's which included lectures, demonstrations, and practice of OSCE's facilitated by lecturers and by the students themselves, was considered central to the process. Learning via OSCEs was perceived to be more effective in comparison to other forms of assessment and prepared students for clinical practice. Positive aspects of the process and areas for improvement were identified. Using OSCE's increased the depth of learning for the students with the steps taken in preparation for the OSCE's proving to be a valuable learning tool. This study adds to the evidence on the use of OSCE's in midwifery education

Assessment of Clinical Nursing Competencies: Literature Review

“…It provides a level of objectivity in how competency is assessed [32]. The review identified a number of benefits from using OSCE including the achievement of deeper meaningful learning [19], deeper consequential learning [20], and an increase in students' confidence in practice [33]. The OSCE was also identified as a means to facilitate the assessment of psychomotor skills, as well as knowledge and attitudes [20].…”

“…These include the objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) [1] that have numerous advantages over other observation tools [17], such as the development of student's self-confidence [18], the grounding of more expressive learning [19], and the assessment of not only psychomotor skills but also allows for the assessment of knowledge and attitudes [20]. The OSCE, however, is not the only assessment tool used in nursing education.…”

Evaluación clínica objetiva y estructurada (ECOE) en la maestría de Enfermería Ginecobstétrica y Perinatal: una sistematización de la experiencia

“…En Irlanda, en el departamento de Ciencias de Enfermería de la Universidad de Limerick, en un estudio descriptivo cualitativo, se concluyó que la estrategia provee a los estudiantes de obstetricia una oportunidad para responder a las emergencias obstétricas en una situación simulada y contribuye a su preparación para la práctica. Además indica que la profundidad del aprendizaje brinda seguridad de que estos estudiantes serán practicantes seguros y competentes 13 .…”

Back to the Future: Electronic Marking of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations and Admission Interviews Using an Online Management Information System in Schools of Health Sciences

“…Several authors have highlighted the importance of using OSCEs as an assessment method in health care education [1,[4][5][6]. The OSCE facilitates the assessment of student's competency with clinical skills in a controlled simulated environment instead of in the practice setting [5].…”

“…A number of benefits have been attributed to the use of OSCEs including, the development of students confidence [7], the preparation of students for clinical practice and the achievement of deeper more meaningful learning [6]. Importantly, the use of OSCEs facilitates the assessment of psychomotor skills as well as knowledge and attitudes [5] OSCEs provide students with feedback on their clinical performance and facilitate the identification of strengths and weaknesses [4].…”