Steve Hemingway Senior lecturer in mental health, University of Huddersfield

Louise Dobson Senior practice nurse, Headspace Early Psychosis, Perth, Australia

Donna Kemp Senior Lecturer in mental Health, University of Huddersfield

Correspondence: s.j.hemingway@hud.ac.uk

Abstract

This paper examines the development and use of video recorded material as a preparation for third year mental health nursing student nurses in the UK undertaking an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of their medicines management skills.

Key words

Education, video, OSCE, medicines management, students

Introduction

This paper examines the development of video recorded material as a preparation for third year mental health nursing student nurses in the UK undertaking an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) of their medicine management skills.

First, a discussion of the nature and intention of the OSCE is provided to set the scene. Second, a critique of existing strategies to prepare students for OSCEs is set out. Third a description of the medicines management OSCE and the development of a preparational film is given for readers to consider an as exemplar to prepare students understanding about the OSCE.

The intention of the film is to increase their confidence toward a planned examination situation, and as a consequence therefore reduce stress that may impair performance during the assessment.

A final discussion and conclusion offers insights into the increasing importance of the use of technology in preparing and engaging students towards the impending assessment of knowledge and skills in practical assessments such as OSCEs.

Background

The importance of clinical skills acquisition is at the heart of caring, professional practice, and mastery of fundamental nursing skills (Edward et al, 2007).

However, with increasing pressure on nursing student both academically and clinically, there are ongoing concerns regarding students’ clinical competence and fitness to practise post-registration.

Highlighted areas of concerns have included communication, medicine administration and decision making (Wilford and Doyle, 2006). Recent changes to the undergraduate nurse education training programme and high-profile cases such as detailed in the Francis report (NMC, 2013; Dyson, 2018) have prompted calls for reassurance that newly qualified nurses are competent upon completion of their undergraduate degree (Pearson et al, 2018; Taylor et al, 2015).

How best to prepare undergraduate healthcare students (including those studying mental health nursing) to functional safely and competently has been debated widely (Hemingway et al, 2014; Hodges et al, 2014; Traynor and Gallouni, 2015).

One key area that requires mental health nurse competency is medicines management, which has been described as an integral role of the registered nurse (Hemingway, 2015).

Students naturally gain their practical experience and acquire their knowledge on medication management when it is applied in the clinical environment (Hemingway et al, 2010).

However, the effectiveness of clinical practice as a learning environment has been questioned due to the time and commitment the student and mentor can give to a student’s acquisition of skills and knowledge (Hemingway et al, 2014; Taylor et al, 2015).

OSCEs have been identified as one method to improve medicines management knowledge and skill for nurses and doctors (Department of Health, 2004). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2007) recommended using OSCEs as a tool for assessing students in relation to medicine management as there were and still are concerns that busy practice mentors do not have the time to assess nurses’ clinical competence (Borneuf and Haigh, 2010; Hemingway et al, 2011).