Effects of Objective Structured Clinical Examination on Clinical Competency and Self-Efficacy among Nursing Students

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Objective Structured Clinical Examination to Traditional Method of Assessment in improving nursing students' clinical competency (clinical judgment and procedural accuracy) and self-efficacy.

Study Design: Comparative study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Rawal College of Nursing and Professional College of Nursing in Islamabad from 1st September 2025 to 31st December 2025.

Methods: 126 bachelors of nursing students were split into two groups of 63 students each. Participants were assessed by Objective Structured Clinical Examination or traditional assessments (written/oral/practical test).
Results: Objective Structured Clinical Examination participants demonstrated clinical competency (68.3% exceeding expectations vs. 20.6%; p=0.012) and higher procedural accuracy (3.32±0.569 vs. 2.1±0.871; p=0.003). Also, both groups showed improvement, but the Objective Structured Clinical Examination group showed a significantly higher increase in self-efficacy (p=0.000) than the traditional group. Independent t-tests showed Objective Structured Clinical Examination to be a more effective means for improvement of clinical competence (p=0.003) and student confidence.

Conclusion: Objective Structured Clinical Examination method is much more successful than conventional assessment methods in enhancing the clinical performance and confidence of students.