The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requires an evaluation of the professional nursing or midwifery skills of any professional trained outside the UK with the eyes set on working in the UK.

That is where the Test of Competences (ToC) comes in. 

What is ToC?

Its purpose is to ensure that nurses have the required levels of knowledge, understanding and application (primarily demonstrated through the CBT) and the required skills (primarily demonstrated through the OSCE) to practise safely in the UK.

It is a two-part test comprising:

– an objective computer-based test (CBT)

– a practical objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

Let us tell you more about the second part of the NMC test of competence: the Objective structured Clinical Examination (or OSCE).

OSCE: when theory meets practice 

The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a practical exam for nurses and midwives trained outside the European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA) that wish to work in the UK.

It was designed to test theoretical knowledge of nursing applied to clinical practice.

Can you demonstrate competency and confidently apply your professional nursing knowledge to the clinical environment safely and effectively in the United Kingdom? That is what the OSCE will assess, and where we can help you.

This examination is used in medical education to test practical nursing standards. It has 10 separate stations, distributed in a sequence of 4 + 4 + 2, with a total testing time of about 3 hours. 

 

4 stations are clinical-scenario-based, which relate to the four stages of the nursing process. They are called APIE:

– Assessment

– Planning

– Implementation

– Evaluation (SBAR)

The next 4 stations test your practical clinical skills, in a form of 2 sets of 2 linked stations. Each pairing skills station will last for up to 21 minutes in total, with 4 minutes in between the pairs.

The other 2 stations are both written stations:

• 1 station to test professional issues associated with professional accountability and the related skills around communication. For this station, it is important to study professional values and behavior, 
• 1 station to assess critical appraisal of research and evidence associated with decision-making.  For this station, it is important to study evidence-based practice (EBP).

At OSCE it will be tested your ability to apply knowledge and skills to the care of patients, rather than testing how well you can remember and recite facts!

Meet our UK OSCE for nurses

We have created an OSCE Preparation Course for all professionals looking for a chance in the UK. Developed by the brilliant minds of Sandra & Juliana, two experienced nurses from the UK, our OSCE course offers the possibility of a fully online or hybrid experience with a practical component held in beautiful Portugal.

With a 100% pass rate for our current participants and the support of a friendly, knowledgeable, and very experienced team of nurses, our training will offer you the opportunity to be fully prepared for the exam when traveling to the UK.

 See the gallery above.

 

Options:

1) Fully online – 10-week access to our online platform with all the information and videos that will allow you to learn everything you need to know about the exam. You will also be supported by an experienced trainer with one-to-one sessions (1 to 3 hours) every other week – for a total of 20 hours.

After these 10 weeks of training, you will have the required theoretical knowledge on the different components of the exam, the possible scenarios, and the keys for being successful with these.

2) Hybrid option – If you wish to put into practice all the knowledge acquired on an online course, you will also have the possibility of doing a 2-week course in Portugal with our experienced teachers. With a ratio of 5 students per teacher, you will be able to go through the practical components of the exam within a simulated environment. This also includes online practice through one-to-one mock stations with an experienced tutor who will provide feedback based on OSCE marking criteria.

At the end of the course, you will be able to travel to the UK fully prepared for the exam with the necessary knowledge and confidence to successfully deal with different tasks tested.

Eager to know more about our OSCE Preparation Programme? Please get in touch with us: info@vpformacao.com