Implementation guidelines for the objective structured clinical assessment of student nurses in a private nursing college in Gauteng

Abstract

Using the right method of evaluation for clinical competence in nursing education plays a major role in obtaining appropriate results and making correct judgements. Nurse educators favour the Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA) for this purpose. The objective of this study was two-fold; firstly to explore and describe the experiences of nurse educators and student nurses of the OSCA within a private nursing college in Gauteng. The second objective was to develop implementation guidelines for the use of the OSCA as an assessment method. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was used and employed individual in-depth interviews, as well as field and direct observations to collect data. A purposive sampling method was used to select participants for the study and the sample comprised of ten nurse educators and ten student nurses to represent the population. Data were analysed thematically and resulted in seven themes and eighteen categories relating to nurse educators’ and student nurses’ experiences of the OSCA. Nurse educators had a predominantly negative view of the OSCA as an assessment method related to the ability of the OSCA to assess all learning assessment method related to the ability of the OSCA to assess all learning domains, the quality, structure, and organisation of the assessment, the simulated nature of OSCA, the availability of resources, as well as the feedback, communication and remedial action during the process. Challenges were experienced with the assessment tools as well as the educator as instrument. Educators raised a concern regarding the students’ readiness for evaluation. Student nurses related their experiences prior to the OSCA, their experiences of the educator, the structure and organisation of the OSCA, and their experience related to the communication and feedback of the results. Students related mixed emotional experiences as recipients of the assessment, as well as the relevance and benefits of the OSCA