Reading a news claim about a food supplement
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 general ward. A patient asks you about a news article in the folder which says that a food supplement halves colds and could replace flu vaccination. In the response sheet, explain how far the claim can be trusted and why. Then say what you would tell the patient and what you would do about the claim on your ward.
What this station tests
- A before-and-after change without a comparison group does not show that a treatment works.
- Check who paid for the study, who was recruited and whether the sample is large enough to matter.
- A headline can go far beyond what the study measured; read what was actually measured.
- Respect the patient's interest and give a clear, safe message: do not replace vaccination.
- Name the missing evidence: no named experts or published paper means no way to check.
Sources for the clinical content
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.