Lecturers' experiences and perspectives of using an objective structured clinical examination

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings that emerged from a qualitative study which explored nurse educators' experiences and perspectives of assessing students' clinical competence using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), and to address the challenges pertaining to the assessment. OSCEs have been researched internationally; however, exploration within an Irish context is limited. The current study is timely as the findings are relevant in light of the ongoing debate about OSCEs. The data for this study was collected using two focus groups in one institution in the Republic of Ireland. Two main themes emerged: OSCE preparation and assessment process. It is envisaged that the outcome of this study will enable nurse educators to recognise both the potential and the contribution of OSCEs to the curriculum and motivate nurse educators to increase students' exposure to this assessment strategy. The need to adapt and become cognisant of the major changes in the 'real' healthcare world will continue to challenge nurse educators. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.