Evaluating OSCE assessments in UK advanced practice curricula: insights from educators

Colette Henderson; Kevin Stirling; Anna Jones; Lizanne Hamilton Smith; Pete Daffada; Jonathan Thomas; Kate Goodhand; Melanie Clarkson; Angela Banks; Ann Sunderland; Melanie Rogers

doi:10.12968/bjon.2025.0143

Evaluating OSCE assessments in UK advanced practice curricula: insights from educators

Colette Henderson (Lead / Corresponding author)
, Kevin Stirling
, Anna Jones
, Lizanne Hamilton Smith
, Pete Daffada
, Jonathan Thomas
, Kate Goodhand
, Melanie Clarkson
, Angela Banks
, Ann Sunderland
, Melanie Rogers

Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

30 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), developed by Harden and Gleeson in the 1970s, was designed to standardise the assessment of medical student performance. The OSCE is the most common assessment method used to assess capability in advanced practice programmes. However, earlier research has indicated that there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of OSCEs within advanced practice programmes. In 2023, a multiprofessional collaboration of educators with expertise in advanced practice conducted a national survey to determine the perceived reliability and validity of OSCEs. This article reports findings from this survey and offers critical insights into the challenges and opportunities of using OSCEs for evaluating the capability of advanced practitioners. The article highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate instruments to determine capability to ensure that assessments are relevant to the role of an advanced practitioner.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	104-112
Number of pages	9
Journal	British Journal of Nursing
Volume	35
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2025.0143
Publication status	Published - 22 Jan 2026

Keywords

Advanced practice
Advanced practitioners
Competence assessment
National survey
Objective Structured Clinical Examination
OSCE assessment and advanced practice

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Nursing

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10.12968/bjon.2025.0143

Author Accepted ManuscriptAccepted author manuscript, 267 KB

Cite this

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abstract = "The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), developed by Harden and Gleeson in the 1970s, was designed to standardise the assessment of medical student performance. The OSCE is the most common assessment method used to assess capability in advanced practice programmes. However, earlier research has indicated that there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of OSCEs within advanced practice programmes. In 2023, a multiprofessional collaboration of educators with expertise in advanced practice conducted a national survey to determine the perceived reliability and validity of OSCEs. This article reports findings from this survey and offers critical insights into the challenges and opportunities of using OSCEs for evaluating the capability of advanced practitioners. The article highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate instruments to determine capability to ensure that assessments are relevant to the role of an advanced practitioner.",

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AU - Jones, Anna

AU - Smith, Lizanne Hamilton

AU - Daffada, Pete

AU - Thomas, Jonathan

AU - Goodhand, Kate

AU - Clarkson, Melanie

AU - Banks, Angela

AU - Sunderland, Ann

AU - Rogers, Melanie

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AB - The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), developed by Harden and Gleeson in the 1970s, was designed to standardise the assessment of medical student performance. The OSCE is the most common assessment method used to assess capability in advanced practice programmes. However, earlier research has indicated that there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of OSCEs within advanced practice programmes. In 2023, a multiprofessional collaboration of educators with expertise in advanced practice conducted a national survey to determine the perceived reliability and validity of OSCEs. This article reports findings from this survey and offers critical insights into the challenges and opportunities of using OSCEs for evaluating the capability of advanced practitioners. The article highlights the importance of selecting the most appropriate instruments to determine capability to ensure that assessments are relevant to the role of an advanced practitioner.

KW - Advanced practice

KW - Advanced practitioners

KW - Competence assessment

KW - National survey

KW - Objective Structured Clinical Examination

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Evaluating OSCE assessments in UK advanced practice curricula: insights from educators

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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