Promoting Process of the Final Exam of Undergraduate Nursing Students with OSCE Method: An Action Research Study

Abstract

Abstract

Background and Objective: Professional competence is the ultimate goal of nursing education. The results of some researches in Iran show that nursing students do not achieve these basic competencies during their educations and therefore face many challenges after entering the workplace; Also, according to various studies and interviews with nursing experts, due to the infancy of this exam in nursing, there are several challenges in holding this exam and given that this work requires the participation of nursing experts, there was a need to design a study to improve the process of holding OSCE-based final exam for undergraduate nursing students. Methods: This study was performed in Tabriz Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, to improve the process of holding OSCE-based final exam for undergraduate nursing students. In this study, in order to achieve the aim of the research, the action research method of Kemmis and Grundy model (1981), which includes the stages of planning, Acting, Observing and Reflecting, was used. Results:Implementation of OSCE in Nursing Faculty of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences was a useful experience for nursing faculties and students. Even though all nursing faculties and students agreed that the existence of the OSCE is important and necessary, however, they pointed out that this exam has challenges due to its new nature in nursing in Iran, and these challenges should be identified and resolved, to achieve the desired results. These challenges were divided into two themes: weak executive and technical infrastructures and weak educational infrastructures. After extracting the existing challenges, the participants prioritized the solutions to improve the process of holding this exam and implemented a designed action plan based on priorities and facilities, which led to improving the exam and reducing the challenges in it. Conclusion: The innovative solutions obtained from this study and the indicators that have been adjusted with the opinion of nursing and educational experts, global procedures and local conditions of the country, can be used by nursing and midwifery faculties in all cities of the country, to help achieve the goals of this evaluation method.