Objective structured clinical examination in assessing the practical skills of graduates in nursing

Abstract

Background: In the conditions of the state comprehensive final exam, a comprehensive assessment of all necessary professional competencies of the graduate is required. Оbjective: To explore the experiences of students concerning how the Objective structured clinical examination is implemented in Kazakhstan Medical colleges. Method: This qualitative study was conducted in June 2019. A total of six focus groups (67 participants) were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis and an inductive approach. Results: Data analysis led to the identification of four main themes: (a) preparation for the Objective structured clinical examination included practical and clinical support, (b) the emotional environment was considered tense, (c) consistency of Objective structured clinical examination station attributes with respect to training content and time frames, and (d) organization and realism had an effect on the level of the Objective structured clinical examination. Conclusions: The objective structured clinical examination has had a positive impact on the students ' experience, contributing to the development of clinical skills and increasing confidence in their knowledge. At the same time, shortcomings were identified in the organization and conduct of the unified state exam: increased stress levels among students, insufficient training of exam participants, partial assessment of competencies, inconsistency of the content of pre‐graduate practice and the OSCE, as well as some technical shortcomings. In the future, there is a need to improve and integrate examination programs, practice and training, and to thoroughly prepare students for the OSCE methodology itself.