OSCE Exam

The OSCE aims to evaluate your proficiency in competently utilizing your nursing expertise and abilities in a professional setting in the UK. It is structured to assess the level of competence expected from nurses at the onset of their registration. As a result, you must demonstrate that you can competently employ your knowledge to deliver patient care at the level anticipated from a recently licensed nurse or midwife.
The assessment evaluates your ability to apply your knowledge to real-world patient care situations rather than simply testing your memory recall abilities. All scenarios and questions presented in the exam are based on the current best practices, and your responses should align with published evidence rather than local protocols.

Test Centers

• Oxford Brookes
• University of Northampton
• Ulster University

Skill Testing

The OSCE exam consists of several stations, with each one spanning between 8 to 15 minutes. Four of these stations are scenario-based and pertain to the four fundamental stages of nursing and midwifery care, namely:

• Assessment - centered on holistic patient evaluation
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Typical skills which may be tested either on their own or within a nursing scenario include:

• Administration of Inhaled Medication (AIM)
• Aseptic Non-touch Technique (ANTT)
• Catheter Specimen of Urine (CSU)
• Fluid Balance chart (FBC)
• In-hospital resuscitation (without defibrillation) (IHR)
• Intramuscular injection (IM)
• Mid-stream Urine and Urinalysis (MSU)
• Peak Expiration Flow Rate (PEFR)
• Removal of Urinary Catheter (RUC)
• Subcutaneous injection (SC)
• Calculating drug dosages
• Hand hygiene
• Medication administration
• Physiological observations
• Safe disposal of sharps
• Wound care
• Fine bore nasogastric tube insertion
• Visual infusion phlebitis (VIP) assessment and intravenous cannula flush
• Pressure ulcer assessment
• Evidence Based Practice
• Professional behaviour

Communication skills

Communication plays a pivotal role in nursing practice and remains under continuous assessment throughout the OSCE exam. The assessment encompasses a comprehensive range of communication competencies, including verbal, non-verbal, and written skills, evaluated through the observation of the candidate's interaction with a simulated patient, who could either be an actor or a manikin. Additionally, the quality of your nursing documentation in each station is also considered during the evaluation process.

The major assessment points are:

• Clearly explaining care, diagnosis, investigations and/or treatments
• Involving the patient in decision-making.
• Communicating with relatives and health care professionals.
• Seeking and obtaining informed consent.
• Active listening.
• Dealing appropriately with an anxious person or anxious relatives.
• Providing clear instructions on discharge.
• Providing advice on lifestyle, health promotion or risk factors.
• Demonstrating compassion and care during communication.
• Clear documentation which meets the requirements of the NMC (2018) the Code.
• Professional behaviour.
• Professional attitude

Approaching the patient/manikin

• Introduce yourself and explain or clarify the purpose of the nursing or midwifery encounter.
• Check what the patient wants you to call them.
• Be polite, respectful, non-judgemental and maintain the patient’s dignity.
• Be empathic and acknowledge the patient’s emotions or concerns and show sensitivity to any discomfort.
• Ensure you gain consent from the patient prior to undertaking any procedures.
• Be sensitive to personal space, stand or sit at an appropriate distance from the actor/manikin and be aware of their body language. You are too close if the actor moves back or recoils.
• Treat a manikin as you would a real patient. B. Explaining and advising
• Establish what the patient already knows and/or wants to know.
• Explain clearly what you are going to do and why, so that the patient can understand.
• Remember to always check if the patient has any questions and understands.
• Offer appropriate reassurance.
• Do not alarm the patient but you must be able to explain the need for urgent action if it is required.
• Do not routinely over-simplify names for parts of the body. It is reasonable to expect that most people will know common body names such as 'bladder', 'ovary', 'womb' and 'vein'. If you doubt a patient’s understanding, check and alter your communication to meet their individual needs.
• Treat the manikin as you would a real person.

Involving the patient in management

• Respect the patient’s autonomy and help them to make a decision based on available evidencebased information.
• Explain information and its implications so that the patient can make an informed choice about their care.
• Check the patient’s understanding and feelings about the proposed nursing or midwifery interventions. They may not always agree with your proposed plan of care.
• Treat the manikin as you would a real person. D. Nursing or midwifery assessment
• You should be able to undertake an accurate nursing or midwifery assessment and develop a plan of care.
• Identify the patient’s nursing or midwifery care needs accurately.
• Listen attentively to the patient’s problems and concerns.
• Use clear language and questions at a comfortable pace.
• Clarify and check information and summarise understanding.
• Be able to plan safe and effective person-centred care based on your nursing assessment and evidence-based best practice

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