[Testing objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) for nursing students experience developed during the years...

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been recognized as an effective evaluation tool in the health area and has been implemented by an important sector of educational institutions, the Faculty of Medicine and School of Nursing. The present article describes the OSCE organized by the Institute of Health Studies in collaboration with the University Schools of Catalan Nursing. Between the years of 2002 and 2009, OSCE annual exams took place with the participation of 1.803 students. The global results remained stable with a median grade of slightly less than 60%, and the competence component that evaluated communicative capacity was the one in which students obtained the best results. The reliability obtained surpassed the minimum recommended by international standards. It's important underline the positive value to the students of all aspects of the test. From this experience it seems evident that it would be useful to take advantage of the OSCE tests in order to show the students their strong points and ways to improve. We should highlight, not only as a goal but also as an opportunity the assessment by competencies that the European space of higher Education provides at the end of studies for a Nursing degree.