Preparing for an OSCE

The assessment of clinical skills competencies is an essential part of the midwifery curriculum to ensure women's safety in the clinical environment. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is one form of assessment used to test clinical skills, performance and competence, increasingly used by many universities.

The OSCE is an exam where students demonstrate competence under simulated conditions (Watson et al, 2002). It simulates a clinical environment and scenarios that registered midwives are likely to encounter when they assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. The student is expected to utilise a contemporary evidence-base and effectively demonstrate safe practical application of midwifery skills. During an OSCE, the examiner will assess knowledge and understanding underpinning the skill, the technical aspects of the skill, affective aspects such as professional attitude and how the student approaches the skill in terms of being systematic, logical and organised (Bloomfield et al, 2010).