Using a guideline summary to answer a ward question
NMC OSCE practice station
Evidence-based practice · 1 min to read · 10 min to perform
A written station. Free to try, no sign-up.
The task
You are a registered nurse on a surgical ward. A colleague asks whether every patient at risk of pressure ulcers should be turned every two hours, day and night. Use the guidance-style summary in the folder to answer. In the response sheet, give your answer to the question and explain how strong the evidence is. Then say what you would do on the ward and how you would check that it is working.
What this station tests
- Answer the question that was asked first, then explain the strength of the evidence.
- Evidence graded as low quality or consensus is guidance to apply with judgement, not proof.
- An individual repositioning plan still needs regular skin checks and recorded decisions.
- Say what has not been studied; a missing comparison is part of the answer.
- Plan an audit so you know whether the change helps your own patients.
Sources for the clinical content
- NICE CG179: Pressure ulcers: prevention and management
- CASP UK: Critical appraisal checklists
- NMC: The Code
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.