title: [The OSCE method (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) in the university course for nurses in Udine].
abstract: The problems and discrepancies occurring in the final evaluation of nursing students brought about the introduction of the OSCE method (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) in the University Course for nurses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  of the article is to describe our experience and first results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven Ist year students were assessed with the OSCE and asked to perform 3 tests to assess theoretical knowledge; practical skills and diagnostic reasoning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  82% passed the three tests. The best results were achieved for the diagnositc reasoning (87%) and the higher number of failures in the practical skills test (57%). The students who had previously passed the exams of the nursing courses had a lower number of failures (3% vs 29%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  exposure to the skills assessed and to the differences between what is thaugh in the classroom and what the students observe in practice. A close collaboration is needed with ward nurses to reduce the gap between theory and practice and the variability of assessment criteria.
authors.affiliation: Laurea in Infermienstica di Udine, Università degli Studi di Udine.
authors.forename: Giampiera
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bulfone
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tosolini
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zuliani
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*