Mapping How Objective Structured Clinical Examinations Are Operationalized to Support Student Learning Across...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Simulation-Based Assessment

Background:

• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are widely used in healthcare education to assess clinical skills and professional behavior.
• Despite established guidelines, significant variability exists in the development, implementation, and evaluation of OSCEs.
• OSCEs are often categorized under simulation pedagogies in health professions education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review exploring variability and similarities in OSCE development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Focus on nursing, midwifery, and medical education contexts.
• Inform future directive work and standardize OSCE practices.

Main Methods:

• Adherence to JBI methodology for scoping reviews.
• Searches conducted by a specialized librarian.
• Reporting in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Independent assessment and data extraction by two reviewers.
• Data charting using narrative summaries, tables, and figures.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive search of major databases (PubMed, PROSPERO, Cochrane, JBI) yielded no existing reviews on the specific topic as of July 2026.
• Feasibility assessment confirmed sufficient articles for a robust review.
• Data collection, extraction, and analysis are ongoing, with anticipated completion within 12 months post-literature search.

Conclusions:

• The review will offer a comprehensive overview of OSCE operationalization in nursing, midwifery, and medical programs.
• Key themes, discrepancies between guidelines and practice, and research gaps will be identified.
• Findings will inform future research and enhance educational practices in health professions assessment.