Disseminated Tele-OSCE During a Pandemic: One University's Experience

Abstract

Background: Due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in-person educational activities were suspended across the globe throughout 2020. In health care education, this required a swift, creative response to maintain the flow of trained clinicians into the workforce without compromising the integrity of core learning outcomes. Early during the pandemic, remote synchronous simulation emerged as a compelling focus of the overall strategy.

Method: At one large health sciences university in the northwestern United States, family nurse practitioner faculty worked closely with the Simulation Operations team to plan, deliver, and assess a pilot tele-OSCE (objective structured clinical examination).

Results: In postevent debriefs and surveys, both standardized patients and students affirmed that the activity was generally safe, accessible, and high value.

Conclusion: With appropriate planning, consensus building, and technology readiness assessment, tele-OSCEs can play a critical role in sustaining the flow of health care students into the workforce during a pandemic. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(2):107-110.].