Objective structured clinical examination: Do first-year nursing students perceive it to be stressful?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Student Well-being

Background:

• The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a standard for assessing nursing competence.
• Limited research exists on first-year nursing students' stress during their initial OSCE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess stress perception in first-year nursing students post-OSCE.
• To identify key factors contributing to student stress.
• To determine the incidence of perceived stress.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive survey design was employed.
• The Perceived Stress Scale (PPS) was administered to 82 first-year nursing students.
• Data were collected immediately following the students' first OSCE.

Main Results:

• Over half of the students (n=54) reported moderate stress levels.
• The primary stressor identified was insufficient time to complete the OSCE tasks (mean=22.04).
• A significant weak positive correlation was found between stress perception and its contributing factors (r=0.45, p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Stress perception in first-year nursing students appears linked to the immediate OSCE experience.
• Findings highlight the need to address time constraints in OSCEs for nursing students.
• Further qualitative research is recommended to explore student stress experiences in depth.