The Effect of Outcome-Based Education on Nursing Students' Clinical Competency

Introduction: Despite global acceptance of outcome-based education, few investigations are available about its effects on clinical competencies (cognitive and behavioral skills) of nursing students. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of outcome-based education on clinical competencies of nursing students compared to traditional education. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study using two groups design with pre and post-tests, 26 nursing students were selected through census and divided randomly into two control and experiment groups. Each group included 6 to 7 persons. After completing the pre-test of cognitive skills, the control group received clinical education through traditional method and the experiment group through outcome-based education, for 9 days. Then, students' cognitive skills were measured by post-test and their behavioral skills were observed via checklist. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using Wilcoxon, Mann Whitney, and Fisher exact tests. Results: Outcome-based education was effective in promoting students' cognitive and behavioral skills. The mean of cognitive and behavioral skills of the experiment group in post-test were significantly higher than that of the control group in all cases and in total. Also, students' clinical competency in the experiment group was significantly higher than control group. Conclusion: Outcome-based education leads to developing nursing students' competencies more than traditional method. It is recommended to employ this method more in clinical education.