A focus group study of the use of video-recorded simulated objective structured clinical examinations in nurse practitio

1. A focus group study of the use of video-recorded simulated objective structured clinical examinations in nurse practitioner education Mr Julian Barratt Senior Lecturer London South Bank University Nurse Practitioner Concordia Health

2. Plan • Background to the study • Research question • Methods • Results • Limitations of the study • Recommendations for practice

3. Background to the study • This project was concerned with helping nurse practitioner students prepare for their advanced nursing objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). • The use of simulated video recordings of OSCEs was trialled as an educational preparation method for student OSCE revision.

4. Research question • What is the value of using video recorded simulated OSCEs for nurse practitioner students’ clinical skills exam preparation?

5. The simulated OSCE videos • The simulated OSCE videos were recorded in a clinical skills laboratory using a digital camcorder. • A range of simulated OSCE stations were recorded, covering both history taking and physical examination.

6. Video stills from the simulated OSCEs

7. Research methods • A qualitative education research study utilizing a focus group evaluation of nurse practitioner students’ post-OSCE opinions of a new type of learning material; the digitally video-recorded simulated OSCEs.

8. Online videos The videos were shown to the students in classes and workshops and also made available via the video-sharing site ‘You Tube’.

10. Focus groups • Once the students had completed their OSCEs and received their results they participated in one of two focus groups; either a traditional face-to-face group, or an online group using an Internet-based discussion board. • The focus group data was analysed using thematic content analysis to provide summary grouped themes representing the research findings.

11. Results • Visual learning: a majority of students identified themselves as visual learners and felt that using the video-recordings enhanced their learning style preference.

12. Results • Clarification and reinforcement: the video-recordings provided clarification of OSCE points that students were unclear about.

13. Results • Online convenience: all of the students liked the convenience of the online availability of the OSCE videos.

14. Results • Class-based discussions of the videos were not useful: not much value was added to the videos by discussing them; students preferred to actually practise the skills observed in the videos.

15. Results • Improvements need to be made to the simulated OSCE video-recordings:including the quality of the video-recordings, alongside an increase in the available range of simulated OSCEs.

16. Wider perspectives • All of the participants felt that using the videos added value to their clinical skills exam preparation. • Some of the students were able to recall the videos during their actual OSCEs. • Video-recorded clinical simulations help to develop the link between critical thinking and experiential reasoning.

17. Limitations of the study • The study is limited to a non-probablity sample of one group of nurse practitioner students in one university. • The credibility of the analysis cold have been enhanced through employing either member checks of the transcribed data or independent verification of the data analysis.

18. Recommendations for practice • Video-recorded simulated OSCEs should be used to support nurse practitioner educational development. • Videos should be trialled with a wider range of OSCE simulations using actors as patients to increase their authenticity. • The online availability of OSCE video-recordings is convenient and popular and their use should be extended.

19. Further reading • Barratt, J. (in press) A focus group study of the use of video-recorded simulated objective structured clinical examinations in nurse practitioner education. Nurse Education in Practice. • Contact: barrattj@lsbu.ac.uk