August, 2016/ Vol 4/Issue 8 ISSN- 2321-127X Research Article International Journal of Medical Research and Review Available online at: www.ijmrr.in 1340 | Page Perception of objective structured clinical examination and traditional practical examination in assessment of nursing students clinical competencies by nursing students in south west Nigeria Mary Idowu Edward 1 , Funmilayo Okanlawon 2 1 Mary Idowu Edward, Ondo State School of Nursing, 2 Funmilayo Okanlawon, Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Address for correspondence: Mary Idowu Edward, Email: moj750@gmail.com .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Abstract Background: Clinical examination is a crucial part of nursing training programmes for assessing nursing student competencies which ultimately lead to the delivery of quality nursing care. Two methods of clinical assessment have been identified [Traditional Practical Examination (TPE) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination(OSCE)] in nursing and allied professions globally. Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) had always used TPE for all clinical examinations in nursing but adopted OSCE two decades ago for only midwifery examination while the examination in general nursing still remains TPE. There is dearth of literature on the perception of these two methods in Nigeria hence this study. This will help to determine best preferred method for clinical assessment among nursing students in Nigeria. Methods: The study utilised one-group quasi experimental design. Two Hospital-based and two University-based nursing schools randomly selected in South-west Nigeria participated in the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 187 nursing students out of which 157 participated in the study. T-test, ANOVA and chi- square were used to analyze the data at 0.05level of significance. Results: Significant difference existed between the mean scores of the two practical examinations: TPE 59.31+ 2.92, OSCE 64.59+ 5.15, t=3.29, p=0.002. OSCE was perceived to be more objective compared to TPE, p=0.000, consume less time p=0.010, assessed wider range of learned materials, p=0.000, less destabilizing during practical session, p=0.001, less stressful p=0.002. Perception on which method demands more preparation showed no significant difference between OSCE and TPE, p=0.097. Lastly, 56.8% of participants preferred OSCE to TPE, p=0.001. Conclusion: OSCE is perceived to be a better method than TPE. It is recommended that OSCE should be adopted as method of practical examination for nursing training programmes in Nigeria. Keywords: Perception, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), Traditional Practical Examination (TPE), Objective .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Introduction Evaluation of nursing competency is critical to assuring patient safety and maintaining high professional standards in the practice of nursing [9]. Competencies refer to skills or knowledge that leads to superior performance. These are formed through an individual/organization’s knowledge, skills and abilities and provide a framework for distinguishing between poor performances through to exceptional performance. A competency is a combination of skills, abilities, and Manuscript received 25 th May2016 Reviewed: 04 th June 2016 Author Corrected: 10 th June 2016 Accepted for Publication 18 th June 2016 knowledge needed to perform a specific task in a given context [8]. competence should be concerned with the ability to master specific clinical skills and possess necessary personal characteristics to function effectively as a nurse including the capacity for reflection [3]. Assessment of competence of practising nurses has been identified as crucially important in maintaining professional standards identifying areas for professional development and educational needs and ensuring that nurse competencies are put to the best possible use in