Using the objective structured clinical examinations in undergraduate midwifery students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing and Midwifery Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a modern assessment tool for clinical skills in nursing education.
• OSCEs are rarely utilized in midwifery education, necessitating an evaluation of their applicability.
• Traditional examinations are often perceived as less effective for assessing practical clinical abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a tool for assessing undergraduate midwifery students' clinical abilities.
• To compare student perspectives on the OSCE versus traditional examination methods.
• To determine the perceived credibility, reliability, and educational impact of OSCEs in midwifery.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-two undergraduate midwifery students participated in the study.
• Internal consistency of OSCE stations was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.
• Students completed a self-administered questionnaire comparing OSCEs and traditional final examinations.

Main Results:

• Over two-thirds of students found traditional exams unsatisfactory, while over half rated OSCEs as satisfactory to very satisfactory (p=0.001).
• Significant differences favored OSCEs in credibility (p=0.0001), consistency (p=0.001), enhancing teaching (p=0.011), and measuring course content (p=0.008).
• Approximately half of the students reported OSCEs as a stressful assessment, though overall evaluation was encouraging.

Conclusions:

• The OSCE system is a preferred and more effective method for assessing midwifery students' clinical skills compared to traditional exams.
• While OSCEs can induce stress, their perceived validity, reliability, and educational benefits are significant.
• Further consideration of the OSCE's validity and reliability is recommended for undergraduate midwifery programs.