Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation Effectiveness in Clinical Evaluation for Family Nurse Practitioner Students

BackgroundThis study examined the relationship between family nurse practitioner (FNP) students' scores on objective structured clinical evaluation (OSCE) and faculty assessment of clinical skills.MethodsRetrospective data were analyzed for FNP students (n = 52) who had completed six OSCEs and the three requisite clinical courses. Performance scores on OSCEs were compared with clinical course grades.ResultsA significant regression equation was found when testing between the clinical grade for the first clinical course and OSCE 1 and OSCE 2 (F(1, 50) = 10.086, p = .003), with an R² of 0.168. There were nonsignificant findings for the second and third clinical courses.ConclusionsOSCEs can identify student weaknesses and strengths and help faculty guide students in strategies to improve clinical skills. The results provide needed evidence for the use of OSCEs, especially in terms of graduate nursing education.