OSCE Preparation
🩺 OSCE Examination Prep
Master every NMCN OSCE station with checklists, common mistakes, examiner tips, and timed practice.
OSCE Quick Reference Cards
🫁 Normal Vital Signs (Adult)
Temp: 36.1–37.2°C
Pulse: 60–100/min
RR: 12–20/min
BP: <120/<80 mmHg
SpO2: 94–100%
💉 Injection Angles
IM: 90° (into muscle)
SC: 45° (into fat)
ID: 10–15° (into dermis)
IV: 15–30° (into vein)
🩸 IV Drop Factors
Standard set: 20 drops/ml
Blood set: 15 drops/ml
Microdrip: 60 drops/ml
Formula: (V × DF) ÷ (T in min)
🧤 PPE Order
Don: Gown → Mask → Goggles → Gloves
Doff: Gloves → Goggles → Gown → Mask
Hand hygiene between EACH step
🩹 Wound Bed Colors
RED = Granulating (good)
YELLOW = Sloughy
BLACK = Necrotic
PINK = Epithelialising (healing)
📋 Catheter Sizes
Male: 14–16 Fr
Female: 12–14 Fr
Male urethra: ~20cm
Female urethra: ~4–6cm
🫀 Korotkoff Sounds
Phase I: Tapping (= Systolic)
Phase II: Swishing
Phase III: Louder tapping
Phase IV: Muffled
Phase V: Silence (= Diastolic)
🧪 NGT Position Check
pH testing: 1–5.5 = gastric ✓
X-ray: gold standard
NEVER auscultation (whoosh)
Check before EVERY feed
🩺 5 Moments Hand Hygiene
1. Before patient contact
2. Before aseptic task
3. After body fluid risk
4. After patient contact
5. After touching surroundings
🩸 Blood Transfusion Rules
TWO-person bedside check
ONLY Normal Saline compatible
Complete within 4 HOURS
First 15 min: run at 50ml/hr
Monitor vitals at 15,30,60 min
💊 10 Rights of Medication
Patient, Drug, Dose, Route, Time, Documentation, Reason, Response, Right to refuse, Education
🫁 O2 Delivery Devices
Nasal cannula: 1–6 L/min
Simple mask: 6–10 L/min
Non-rebreather: 10–15 L/min
Venturi: precise FiO2
COPD target: 88–92%
OSCE Exam Strategies
🎯 Before the Exam
• Read the question card TWICE — underline the key verbs (demonstrate, explain, assess, perform)
• Budget your time: 1 min to read/plan, 6 min to perform, 1 min to wrap up
• Bring your own equipment if allowed (stethoscope, pen torch, watch with second hand)
• Practice hand hygiene until it's second nature — you'll be nervous and may forget
• Wear professional clinical attire: bare below elbows, no jewellery, name badge
🗣️ During the Station
• ALWAYS introduce yourself: "Good morning, my name is [Name], I'm a student nurse. I'll be [procedure] today."
• Confirm patient identity EVERY station — even if the examiner didn't ask you to
• Narrate as you go: "I'm now palpating for the radial pulse..." — examiners can't mark what they can't see/hear
• If you make a mistake, DON'T panic — acknowledge it and correct: "I realize I should have washed my hands first. Let me do that now."
• Maintain eye contact with the "patient" — not the examiner
• End every station with: "Is there anything else I can help you with?" and "I would document this procedure in the nursing notes."
⚠️ Automatic Fail Points (Avoid at ALL Costs)
• Failing to identify the patient (skip two identifiers = instant fail)
• Not performing hand hygiene at the appropriate moment
• Breaking sterile technique during an aseptic procedure
• Incorrect sharps disposal (recapping, not using sharps bin)
• Unsafe practice: forcing a catheter, not checking for allergies, wrong drug route
• Poor communication: not obtaining consent, not explaining the procedure, not maintaining dignity
🧠 Memory Anchors for Stations
• Every station starts the same: Introduce → Identify → Consent → Hand hygiene → Position
• Every station ends the same: Comfort → Dispose → Hand hygiene → Document → "Any questions?"
• For injection stations: remember 10 Rights → 3 Checks → Z-track → Site → Angle → Aspirate? → Inject → Don't recap
• For catheter stations: remember 2 Gloves → Clean → Anaesthetic → Wait → Insert → Advance past flow → Inflate → Replace foreskin → Secure
• For wound care: remember ANTT → Old off → Hand wash → Sterile gloves → Clean centre-out → Assess (RED/YELLOW/BLACK/PINK) → New dressing → Document