title: Using objective structured clinical examinations to meet clinical competence evaluation challenges with distance education students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to describe the use of modified objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) developed to address the identified educational need for formative advanced practice psychiatric mental health (PMH) student assessments and focused learning experiences within a modified nursing distance education program that serves advanced practice nurse PMH students from rural/underserved areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSCEs represent a practical solution to the challenges of clinical competency evaluation in psychiatric nursing distance education programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OSCEs add a supportive evaluation layer to the precepted experience. This increases the availability of PMH nurse practitioner/clinical nurse specialist distance education programs focused on improving advanced PMH nursing services in rural and underserved areas.
authors: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA. lerobbin@nmsu.edu
authors: Leslie K
authors: LK
authors: Robbins
authors: Mary M
authors: MM
authors: Hoke
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States