Using the Objective Structured Teaching Examination to Improve the Clinical Teaching Efficacy of Clinical Preceptors: A Quasi-Experimental Study

BACKGROUND: Although clinical preceptors (CPs) are vital to the retention of new nurses, evaluations of post-training changes in their teaching behavior are limited. The Objective Structured Teaching Examination (OSTE), designed to assess and enhance the instructional skills of CPs, is underutilized in nursing education. PURPOSE: This study was developed to evaluate the effectiveness of the OSTE in improving teaching competencies in CPs, with effectiveness tracked longitudinally at 3 and 6 months postintervention. METHODS: A nonrandomized allocation, longitudinal, parallel design was used in this quasi-experimental study. One hundred twenty-two CPs working at one Taiwanese medical center were enrolled as participants and assigned to experimental (n=63) and control (n=59) groups. The experimental group completed seven OSTE sessions based on core competencies. Teaching competencies were measured using the Clinical Teaching Behavior Inventory (CTBI) at four time points: pre-OSTE, post-OSTE, and 3 and 6 months post-OSTE. Data were analyzed using generalized estimation equations. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significant improvements in all CTBI domains immediately after the intervention (all p ≤ .003), with the CTBI total score remaining significantly elevated at 3 months (p=.026) and 6 months (p=.004) postintervention. The improvements in the control group were shown to be uneven and not significant until 6 months post-test. In all participants, clinical ladder level was found to relate positively to CTBI total score. CONCLUSIONS: OSTE effectively enhances teaching competencies in CPs in the short term, with these effects declining but remaining significant through at least 6 months postintervention. Ongoing training and integrated assessment tools are necessary to realize and sustain improvements in CP clinical teaching efficacy over the long term.