Evaluating Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives on the Effectiveness of OSCE in Assessing Infection Prevention and Control Competencies

Abstract

Background: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) competencies are critical for nursing practice, especially in reducing healthcare-associated infections. Traditional clinical assessments often lack standardization, prompting the adoption of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as an objective, structured tool. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of OSCE in assessing IPC competencies.

Materials & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2025 in four nursing institutes (two public, two private) in Karachi, Pakistan. The sample included 150 first-year BSN students enrolled in the IPC course, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a validated 24-item structured questionnaire on a 3-point Likert scale. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured. Descriptive statistics (mean, SD, frequencies) and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test were applied using SPSS v26.

Results: Participants were predominantly aged 21–25 years (66.0%) and male (68.0%), with equal representation from public and private institutions. Mean perception scores ranged from 2.7 to 2.8 across OSCE domains, significantly above the neutral midpoint (p < 0.001). Students reported OSCE to be fair, objective, well-organized, and effective in reducing examination stress. They highlighted enhanced critical thinking, autonomous skill application, and increased motivation for learning.

Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students expressed overwhelmingly positive perceptions of OSCE as an assessment tool for IPC competencies. Its structured and standardized format promotes fairness, objectivity, and engagement, suggesting OSCE’s strong potential for improving competency-based nursing education in Pakistan.