Evaluation of a low cost OSCE in family nurse practitioner students: An emphasis on self-assessment in competency-based education

Objective: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has identified competency-based education (CBE) as a priority in nursing education. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been used across health professions as a tool to incorporate competency-based education. However, the OSCE has been correlated with intensive faculty resources and high costs. The objective of this study was to discuss the evaluation of a low cost OSCE and its ability to incorporate the role of self-assessment in competency-based education within a nurse practitioner program.Methods: Faculty at a public university developed and evaluated an OSCE, exploring its implementation as a component of CBE while minimizing costs using a quasi-experimental design. Nine nurse practitioner students in their third year of a BSN-DNP program completed a pre- and post- assessment of their perceived ability in three OSCEs. Undergraduate nursing students were recruited for the standardized patient role. The OSCEs were recorded for evaluation by faculty and for self-evaluation by the students.Results: There was no significant difference noted in student self-evaluations pre- and post-assessment. There was a statistical difference in the faculty ratings of the student in the otitis media OSCE, with the student rating their performance higher than faculty. There was no statistical difference noted in either the women’s health or hypertension assessments.Conclusions: Recordings of the OSCEs allowed students to identify strengths and weaknesses, cultivating the practice of self-assessment. Integration of minimal cost OSCEs provides opportunities for programs with varying budgets to incorporate it as a component of CBE.