Views and Satisfaction of Nursing Students Toward Objective Structured Clinical Examination and Traditional Clinical Examination: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Traditional clinical examination (TCE) and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) are assessment methods that evaluate the ability of healthcare students to integrate their knowledge, skills, attitude, and clinical judgment in providing effective and safe care to patients. Objectives The study sought to assess the views and satisfaction of nursing students toward OSCE and TCE in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study was conducted in a college of nursing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Results OSCE covered a wide range of knowledge areas, highlighted areas of weakness, and presented logical and appropriate clinical situations. The OSCE scores provided a true and standardized measure of essential clinical skills. The examination was well-designed and structured, was considered a fair assessment method, and was identified as the preferred form of assessment. Conclusion Both OSCE and TCE are widely used to assess the clinical competence of nursing students. They differ significantly in structure, scope, and objectivity.