The use and effect of OSCES in post-registration nurses: An integrative review

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used in the undergraduate medical setting since the 1970s, however little is known about its use and effectiveness in post-registration nurse education.

The purpose of this review was to critically analyse studies using OSCEs in post-registration nurse education and to explore the use and effectiveness of OSCEs in this cohort.

This review was conducted using the Whittemore and Knafl's framework for integrated reviews.

Using the search terms OSCE OR OSCA OR objective structured clinical examination AND nursing NOT undergraduate, a comprehensive review was conducted using CINHAL and MEDLINE.

The initial search located 173 studies. After screening and checking eligibility 19 studies were critically appraised. The final number of studies included in this review was 16.

Three themes were generated: (i) Application of OSCEs in post-registration level nursing (ii) OSCEs more than an exam: Learning enhancements and (iii) Participant perceived impact of OSCEs.

OSCEs for post-registration nurses have evolved from the original OSCE design and have been adapted to a wide range of clinical settings and specialities. OSCEs were recognized as a valuable learning and assessment tool across the world for post-registration nurses. OSCEs offered strengths in terms of learner satisfaction and increased self-efficacy for this cohort. There was limited evidence supporting the effects of OSCEs within post-registration nursing education in comparison with other educational tools. Further research is needed to explore whether the knowledge gained in OSCEs is translated into clinical practice and whether simulation-based education is more effective in achieving enhanced knowledge compared to traditional-based education. Future research is required using RCT methods to compare the impact of OSCE to traditional-based education.