A comparative analysis between objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and conventional examination (CE) as formative evaluation tool

OSCE (Objective structured clinical examination) is a multi-system examination using real or simulated patients to evaluate clinical skills (Psychomotor Skill), attitudes and cognitive abilities. It demonstrated reliability and validity for assessing clinical performance. Students go around the complete circuit of stations, and keep on doing the tasks of each of the placard. All students move from one station to another in the same sequence. The stations are categorized as “procedure station‟ or “question station‟. Procedure stations are observed by the examiner while question stations are unobserved (only a written answer is desired). Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of objective structured clinical examination as compare to conventional examination as formative assessment tool in Nursing.

To assess effectiveness of OSCE and CE as a method of formative assessment tool, and to assess students perception about OSCE and CE style of examination.

A cross sectional comparative study was carried out over two different days, first OSCE was held and after one month CE was held among all (1^st year and Second Year) M. Sc Nursing students.

mean value of Conventional Examination is higher (Mean 69.87; SD 9.43) than mean value of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (Mean 55.12; SD 6.22), obtained t value (t=13.51, P<.000) at P<0.05 is showed that there is a significant difference between CE and OSCE. Mean score of Conventional Examination is significantly different from Objective Structured Clinical Examination at P<0.05, mean score of CE (Mean-69.87, median-72) suggests that Conventional Examination style is more effective that Objective Structured Clinical Examination (Mean-55.12, Median-57), thus null hypotheses is rejected, mean score of perception of M. Sc Nursing students towards CE is higher than mean score of perception of M. Sc Nursing students towards OSCE.

conventional examination style is more convenient and traditionally followed in nursing but if OSCE is introduced right from the beginning of academic and well oriented to the students during the teaching and demonstration, this method would be more effective.