Reliability and Validity of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination in the Evaluation of Clinical Skills of Midwifery Students (Kashan, 2014)

This study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of Objective Structured Clinical Examination in evaluating the clinical skills of midwifery students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2014. This descriptive-correlational study was carried out on 23 senior midwifery students. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination scores were calculated according to the structured objective checklists. Content and criterion validity and reliability were also assessed. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS-16 using ANOVA and Spearman correlation coefficients. There was a significant relationship between the clinical scores and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination score (r=0.45, P=0.03). The reliability results of the evaluation of stations by two observers showed that the lowest and highest correlation coefficients between observers were 0.58 and 1.00, respectively. Owing to good reliability and validity of this test in the first period of its implementation in Kashan, it can be recommended for subsequent periods as part of the final exam for midwifery students.