What is an OSCE?

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination or OSCE is a multipurpose evaluative tool that can be used to assess the competence of healthcare and clinical workers on a variety of skills and tasks.

The OSCE uses objective based testing to assess competency through direct observation.

It gives an easily reproduced and uniform way of testing multiple students within a clinical setting.

An OSCE gives students a hands-on, real world approach to learning and assessment within a classroom environment – this helps keep students engaged and give a better understanding of the decision making processes and challenges experienced in real world environments.

The basic steps in modelling an OSCE exam include:

• Determination of the OSCE team.
• Skills to be assessed (OSCE Stations).
• Objective marking schemes
• Recruitment and training of the standardized patients.
• Logistics of the examination process.

Multiple OSCE stations will test delegates on a variety of skills throughout the day as they move from one task to another in a university environment.

However, due to the nature of how we operate and the demands of our clients we offer them course specific at the end of a day of theory based training.

The students will complete the OSCE on a one to one basis with the trainer, they can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes each and are pass or fail. In addition, we will give students who fail time to re-read and practice while we assess others before they retake the OSCE. We will give a maximum of 3 attempts to pass before officially failing a student.

What is the purpose of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination

The purpose of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination, OSCE is to make sure healthcare professionals have the right abilities to provide safe and effective care to patients. It’s a fair way to assess skills and keep a high standard in healthcare education and practice.

Medical and nursing fields often utilize OSCEs to assess candidates’ skills, knowledge, and communication abilities.

In addition, during an OSCE, candidates progress through different stations, where they encounter various scenarios and tasks. Each station has specific things they look for and trained assessors evaluate the candidates.

What is the difference between OSCE and ISCE?

The main difference between an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and an Integrated Structured Clinical Examination (ISCE) lies in their assessment focus and approach.

During an OSCE, you’ll go through different stations and face different scenarios to show your clinical skills. You might have to do tasks like taking a patient’s history, examining their body, or demonstrating specific skills. OSCEs check if you can follow standard rules accurately.

On the other hand, an ISCE focuses on using your knowledge and skills in real-life situations. It’s about solving complex problems and making important decisions in patient care. ISCEs cover a range of skills related to a common theme, like managing a patient with a specific condition. They want to see how well you can think, communicate, and solve problems in a real clinical setting.

So, in simple terms, OSCEs test specific tasks, while ISCEs check how well you can handle complex situations in healthcare.

Is it hard to pass OSCE?

Passing an OSCE can be challenging due to the rigorous evaluation of clinical skills and knowledge. It requires thorough preparation, practice, and the ability to perform under pressure.

However, with adequate preparation, guidance, and support, many candidates are able to successfully pass the OSCE.

It ultimately depends on an individual’s dedication, readiness, and their ability to demonstrate the required competencies during the assessment.

What is a good OSCE score or what is the minimum required score?

A good score in an OSCE depends on what the school or organization conducting the assessment considers as passing.

The educational institution or licensing body usually sets the passing score. Its purpose is to ensure that students have shown enough skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective care to patients. The required score can vary between different schools and may depend on how difficult the exam is or what they’re testing for. To know what score you need to pass, it’s best to check the guidelines or instructions given by the organization that’s organizing the OSCE. They will tell you the score you should aim for to pass the exam successfully.

Objective Structured Clinical Examination Training

We can run OSCE’s in a range of clinical subjects, we have a listed a few of the common areas we regularly cover below. These can have be tailored to result in specific outcomes as determined by the employer, the task and the environment:

• Catheterisation
• Enteral Tube Feeding
• Venepuncture & Cannulation
• Tracheostomy Care
• Syringe Driver & IV Drugs
• Medication Adminstration
• Oral Suctioning
• Bowel Mangement (Enema, Suppository & Manual Evac)
• Ventilation, NIV, CPAP, BIPAP

Caring For Care are able to deliver specific training around a range of subjects culminating in OSCE assessment.

We cover the whole of the UK and deliver the training at a location and time to suit you and your business.

For more information on what we can offer, call 01782 563333 or use the contact form below.