Objective structured clinical examination: Do first-year nursing students perceive it to be stressful?

Abstract

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is widely accepted as an effective means of assessing clinical competence and nursing skills. There is, however, little existing knowledge on how first-year nursing students perceived stress during their first OSCE. To determine the perception of stress; to identify the perceived factors causing stress; and to determine the perceived incidence of stress. A descriptive, survey was conducted on a sample of 82 first-year nursing students using the Perceived Stress Scale (PPS).