Title : How do performance-based examination influence learning? An evaluative study of BS nursing student perception
Abstract:
Assessment of clinical competence is an essential component of nursing education, as the students’ clinical nursing skills and performance are the foundation of their professional practice. Current literature revealed that over the past few decades, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has proven to be a valid and reliable tool, which can influence different learning domains among student nurses related to clinical competencies. Cognizant that using it as a form of skills lab assessment at newly established Oman College of Health Sciences (OCHS) Nursing College is still in its infancy stage, it is deemed necessary to assess the perception of BS Nursing students on how OSCE influence learning so as to validate its effectiveness. The study employed quantitative descriptive research design. Data were gathered with the use of a pilot-tested researcher-made survey questionnaire from purposively sampled Bachelor Nursing Students from South and North Al-Batinah branches, including Year II, III, and IV of Academic Year 2020-2021, (n = 172) where (Male: n= 33; Female: n= 139). Findings revealed that the respondents agreed that Objective Structured Clinical Examination influences learning in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude domains (composite mean = 3.9;3.8;3.8 respectively). OSCE had positive influence in improving nursing students’ knowledge, skills and attitude which can be described under “knows how, shows how and does” respectively, on Miller’s pyramid. Significant and non-significant differences were found between the profile of the respondents and their assessments on how OSCE influence learning. Hence, OSCE can be a worthwhile valid strategy of teaching and assessing nursing student's clinical competencies as long as it is properly designed in achieving the standard clinical competencies of nursing graduates thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- How OSCE influence different learning domains
- How nursing students be able to utilize the use of OSCE as a form of performance-based examination to the fullest
- How OSCE influence holistic clinical learning experience not just in gaining skills and knowledge but most importantly in terms of attitude or affective domain on which according to Mary. C (2011), it is the most neglected one in higher education, although it is deemed the “gateway to learning”
