Effect of training by using objective structured clinical examination "osce" on the outcome of clinical training of nursing students enrolled in psychiatric and mental health nursing course

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has emerged during the past 2 decades as medicine (Oh et al., 2011). This examination type involves direct observation of clinical performance using standardized patients and structured checklists for marking. A variety of areas of medical performance can thus be evaluated, including interviewing skills, physical examination skills, and interpersonal skills (Brosnan et al., 2006 and Selim et al., 2011). Aim of the study: This study aimed to determine the effect of training by using Objective Structured Clinical Examination "OSCE" on the outcome of clinical training of nursing students enrolled in psychiatric and mental health nursing course and assess students' perception toward using OSCE as a training and evaluative tool in psychiatric and mental health clinical training. Material and Method: Subjects: The study subjects were include all students enrolled in psychiatric and mental health nursing course (150) at the first semester of academic year 2012-2013, in faculty of Nursing Tanta University. The students were divided into two main groups the study group (75) students were chosen randomly and control group (75) students. Tools of the study: A-Data collection tools: Tool (I): Students' perception toward OSCE as a training tool. Part (1) A socio-demographic data sheet, Part (2): Students' perception toward OSCE as a training tool. Tool (II): Students' perception toward OSCE as an evaluation tool. B- An intervention tool: Objective Structured Clinical Training and Examination program (OSCTE): Clinical training and evaluation by OSCE method were implemented on the study group enrolling in learning class activities only (exhibiting videos and examining through oral exam). Each study group were attend 9 sessions scheduled as three sessions per week, which were take about four hours per day, for about three weeks. Results: The main results revealed that there was positive and direct significant correlation between using OSCE sessions in training and OSCE examination and there is statistical significant difference in the total mean scores of the clinical exam rotation between study and control group as it tabulated respectively in the p-value (0.0158, 0.009, 0.024). Conclusion: The current study findings showed that the majority of the studied students' were having good overview toward OSCE as a training tool, and the most of the studied students' were having good overview toward OSCE as an examination tool. In regard to comparison between study and control group in their scores of exam rotation. There is significant difference in the students' scores of the exam rotation between both study and control group.