Attitudes of undergraduate nursing students toward Objective Structure Practical Examination: An Exploratory study

BACKGROUND: Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) is a method of assessment of clinical competence. The examination is conducted at multiple stations. Besides practical and problem-solving skills, theoretical knowledge is also tested. OSPE can be traced back more than 40 years. OSPE has been included more than two decades, as a part of assessment in the College of Nursing, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine nursing students' attitudes towards OSPE as an assessment tool. PARTICIPANTS: The responses of all the 252 Undergraduate nursing students studying at the College of Nursing, AIIMS were obtained for this study (77 from B.Sc.(H) Nursing first year, 61 from the second year, 69 from the third year and 45 from the fourth year). METHODS: The students attitudes towards OSPE were assessed by using a validated questionnaire containing 28 item statements on Likert's 5-point scale (LS) and 11 bipolar adjectives on Osgood's 7-point Semantic' Differential Scale (OSDS). RESULT: Most of the students approved of OSPE and felt that it was fair, useful, good, effective, exciting, interesting, practical, skill oriented but also taxing. The study also revealed that amongst the second years' students there was a strong correlation between Overall Rank in the Class and Assessment of OSPE. CONCLUSION: The study supports the introduction of OSPE as one of the methods of assessment of B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing students.