title: Using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Bachelor of Midwifery students' preparation for practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contemporary midwifery practice needs a rigorous and standardised assessment of practical skills, and knowledge to ensure that safety is maintained for both women and neonates before, during and after childbirth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) for Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) as a standardised tool to develop clinical competence of Bachelor of Midwifery students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pragmatic mixed method approach with surveys, focus groups and interviews was used to evaluate the OSCEs for first year students. Quantitative and qualitative data were combined to understand student and academic perceptions of students' confidence for clinical practice following the OSCE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four students responded to surveys (response rate 94%); and 13 participated in focus groups. Two academic lecturers participated in an interview (100%). Two main themes emerged (1) the OSCEs improved student confidence (2) the OSCEs were relevant and prepared students for practice. Most students indicated that they practised for the OSCE using an integrated approach (70%), and that this assisted them in their approach to the assessment of the neonate or post-partum mother.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of BPGs to ensure that OSCEs focus on important aspects of knowledge and practice helped students to learn and to perform well. Students' confidence in their ability for the imminent professional experience placement was high. OSCEs designed with the BPGs should be implemented broadly across midwifery education to enhance students' competence and provide rigorous meaningful assessment.
authors.affiliation: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing (NCREN), Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Australia; Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. Electronic address: marion.mitchell@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Marion L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. Electronic address: carol.jeffrey@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
authors.affiliation: Princess Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Griffith University School of Nursing and Midwifery, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. Electronic address: amanda.henderson@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: pauline.glover@flinders.edu.au.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.affiliation: Griffith University Mt Gravatt Campus, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mt Gravatt, QLD 4122, Australia. Electronic address: d.nulty@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Duncan D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Nulty
authors.affiliation: University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: michelle.kelly@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, , St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia. Electronic address: m.groves@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.affiliation: James Cook University, Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health, PO Box 2572, Mount Isa, QLD 4825, Australia. Electronic address: sabina.knight@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Authentic assessment; Best Practice Guidelines; OSCE; Preparation for practice