The impact of using Direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS ) evaluation method on the some clinical skills of midwifery students

Background: The present study was done in order to evaluate the students’ clinical skill, enhance the quality of cares given, and consider limitations of common evaluation ways, as well as loss of texts about impact of new evaluation in education. The aim of this study was the impact of using direct observation of procedural skill (DOPS) evaluation method on some clinical skills of midwifery students. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 70 midwifery students in the delivery ward of Fatemieh Hospital in Hamadan during the first semester of 2017-2018. In this stage, the students in the control group were evaluated according to the current method of the faculty and the experimental group was evaluated by the DOPS method through a checklist. Finally, the evaluation scores of students were compared in both control and experimental groups. Results: According to T-test results, the average score in vaginal examination, Leopold maneuver and hearing fetal heart rate has been equal before doing the test (P>0.05); however, after intervention the difference between the results obtained from these two groups was significant (P<0.05). Then scores prior and after intervention in each group was compared through T-paired test. According to results of this test, before intervention, the difference within two groups were not significant but after intervention (p>0.05), the scores have significantly increased in test group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Findings showed that using DOPSevaluation way can be effective in enhancing clinical skills of midwifery students in vaginal examination; however, Leopold maneuver and hearing fetal heart rate are recommended for other procedures.