Explaining the Factors Affecting the Success of the Nursing Students in OSCE Exam: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study

Background & aim: Practical exams are frequently used in the training and evaluation of medical students. One of these exams is Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). The present study aimed to explaining the factors affecting the success of the nursing students in OSCE exam. Method: This research was designed to pursue a qualitative approach following content Analysis. 11 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study with mean age of 24±3.5 years. Elo & Kyngas (2008) method was used to analyze the data. To help the data analysis, the MAXQDA 10 software was used. Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of two main categories and 8 general categories: facilitators of success in the exam with general categories (previous experiences, peer learning, personal characteristics and managerial readiness) and barriers to success in the exam with general categories (uncertainty in running exam, test giant, clinical training method and Inattention and lack of motivation). Conclusion: The present study is one of the first studies to explain the factors affecting the success of nursing studentschr('39') in OSCE exam. According to the results of this study, many factors, including individual, group and educational conditions in the faculty and hospital are effective in the success in OSCE exam. According to the results of the study, the officials of nursing schools should try to minimize the obstacles to the success in OSCE exam in the next years, and on the other hand, strengthen the facilitators, so that the students and colleges benefit the most from OSCE exam.