Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Improves Perceived Readiness for Clinical Placement in Nutrition and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Dietetics Training
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Providing adequate clinical training for dietetics graduates is challenging.
• Traditional methods offer limited patient counseling experience for students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) on nutrition and dietetic students' perceived readiness to practice.
• To assess changes in clinical skills after completing an OSCE.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post test design was used with 37 dietetic students.
• Students participated in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) involving chart review, standardized patient counseling, and interprofessional discussions.
• The Perceived Readiness for Dietetic Practice questionnaire was administered before and after the OSCE.

Main Results:

• OSCE significantly improved students' overall perceived readiness to practice as clinical dietitians (p=0.03).
• Significant improvements were observed in professional role (p=0.04) and charting skills (p=0.01).
• Seventy-six percent of students preferred OSCE over traditional medical center experiences, and 78% valued interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) effectively enhance dietetic students' perceived clinical skills.
• The OSCE format provides a realistic patient simulation for developing essential evaluation and counseling competencies.
• OSCE is a valuable tool for preparing future dietitians for practice.