OSCE Station Examples for Nursing in Australia: What to Expect at Each Station

Knowing what to expect at an OSCE station helps you prepare. This guide gives sample scenarios we wrote for five kinds of station you may meet in the Australian nursing OSCE. They are not real exam stations: the RN OSCE has 10 stations, scenarios can change between exam days, and candidates must keep exam content confidential.

For each one, we provide a sample door note (what you read during the 2-minute reading phase), what we would expect a strong candidate to do (our coaching checklist, not the NMBA's marking criteria), and mistakes to avoid.

Station Type 1: Patient Assessment

Sample Door Note

Setting: Medical ward, Room 4 Patient: Mrs Chen Wei, 68 years old History: Day 2 post right total hip replacement Current concern: Patient reports increasing pain in right hip, rated 7/10. Last analgesia was paracetamol 1g oral at 0800 (4 hours ago). Task: Perform a focused pain assessment and develop an appropriate management plan. Equipment available: Observation chart, medication chart, pain assessment tools

What a Strong Candidate Does (Our Checklist)

• Introduce yourself, verify patient identity
• Use SOCRATES pain assessment framework (Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associated symptoms, Time, Exacerbating/relieving factors, Severity)
• Check vital signs and relate to pain assessment
• Review current analgesia on medication chart
• Check for PRN medication availability
• Develop a multimodal pain management plan
• Document assessment and plan
• Plan for reassessment after intervention

Mistakes to Avoid

• Jumping straight to "I'll get you some pain relief" without proper assessment
• Not checking the medication chart for current analgesia and PRN orders
• Not asking about non-pharmacological pain management strategies
• Forgetting to plan a reassessment time

Station Type 2: Medication Administration

Sample Door Note

Setting: Surgical ward Patient: Mr Rajesh Patel, 55 years old, Type 2 Diabetes History: Admitted for elective cholecystectomy tomorrow. Blood glucose level at 1700: 14.2 mmol/L Task: Check the medication chart and administer the prescribed insulin according to the sliding scale protocol. Equipment available: Medication chart, blood glucose meter, insulin pen, alcohol swabs, sharps container

What a Strong Candidate Does (Our Checklist)

• Verify patient identity (name + DOB + wristband)
• Check allergies
• Review medication chart: correct insulin type, dose per sliding scale, route, time
• 5 Rights: Right patient, drug, dose, route, time
• Check insulin expiry date and appearance
• Explain the procedure to the patient and obtain consent
• Correct subcutaneous injection technique (pinch skin, 45-90 degree angle, rotate sites)
• Document administration
• Plan for blood glucose recheck (typically 1-2 hours post-dose)

Mistakes to Avoid

• Not checking allergies before administration
• Not verifying the sliding scale dose matches the current blood glucose reading
• Incorrect injection technique (not rotating sites, wrong angle)
• Forgetting to plan a recheck of blood glucose

Station Type 3: Communication — ISBAR Handover

Sample Door Note

Setting: Emergency Department Patient: Mrs Maria Santos, 72 years old History: Presented with chest pain, ECG shows ST elevation in leads II, III, aVF. Troponin elevated. Aspirin 300mg and GTN spray administered. Pain now 3/10. Task: Perform an ISBAR handover to the cardiology registrar (played by the examiner) for admission.

What a Strong Candidate Does (Our Checklist)

• I — Identify: "This is [Name], RN from Emergency. I'm calling about Mrs Maria Santos, DOB [date], MRN [number]"
• S — Situation: "Mrs Santos is a 72-year-old woman presenting with acute chest pain. ECG shows inferior STEMI."
• B — Background: "She has a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. Current medications include [list]. She is allergic to [if any]."
• A — Assessment: "Her current observations are [vital signs]. Pain has reduced from 8/10 to 3/10 after aspirin 300mg and GTN. Troponin is elevated at [value]."
• R — Recommendation: "I believe she needs urgent cardiology review for potential PCI. I'd like to transfer her to CCU. Is there anything else you'd like me to do before transfer?"

Mistakes to Avoid

• Giving information in random order instead of structured ISBAR
• Not including vital signs in the assessment
• Not making a clear recommendation
• Speaking too fast (slow down — clarity matters)

Station Type 4: Emergency Response

Sample Door Note

Setting: Rehabilitation ward Patient: Mr David Thompson, 45 years old History: Day 5 post spinal surgery. His next dose of IV cefazolin was started 10 minutes ago and is still running. You enter the room and find him distressed and short of breath, with facial swelling and an urticarial rash developing. Task: Manage this clinical situation.

What a Strong Candidate Does (Our Checklist)

• Recognise anaphylaxis (rash + swelling + respiratory distress after IV antibiotic)
• Stop the infusion immediately
• Call for help (press emergency buzzer, call MET/Code Blue)
• Position patient flat (legs elevated if hypotensive)
• Assess ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)
• Administer adrenaline (epinephrine) 0.5mg IM if available on emergency trolley
• Apply high-flow oxygen
• Monitor vital signs continuously
• Prepare for potential deterioration (IV access, fluids)
• Document everything including time of onset and interventions

Mistakes to Avoid

• Not recognising anaphylaxis quickly enough
• Continuing the antibiotic infusion
• Not calling for help early
• Forgetting adrenaline as first-line treatment

Station Type 5: Patient Education

Sample Door Note

Setting: Cardiac ward Patient: Mrs Fatima Hassan, 58 years old History: New diagnosis of heart failure (HFrEF). Being discharged today on furosemide 40mg daily, enalapril 5mg BD, and carvedilol 6.25mg BD. Task: Provide discharge education about heart failure self-management including daily weight monitoring, fluid restriction, and when to seek medical attention.

What a Strong Candidate Does (Our Checklist)

• Assess current understanding: "What has your doctor told you about your heart condition?"
• Explain heart failure in simple terms (avoid medical jargon)
• Daily weight monitoring: weigh at same time each day, same scales, report gain of >2kg in 2 days
• Fluid restriction: typically 1.5-2L per day (explain what counts as fluid)
• Medication education: purpose of each medication, common side effects, importance of adherence
• Warning signs to seek help: sudden weight gain, worsening breathlessness, ankle swelling, chest pain
• Use teach-back: "Can you tell me in your own words what you'll do each morning?"
• Provide written materials if available
• Address questions and concerns

Mistakes to Avoid

• Lecturing instead of having a conversation
• Using medical terminology the patient does not understand
• Not assessing what the patient already knows
• Forgetting teach-back (this demonstrates Standard 7 — evaluation)

Practise These Scenarios

Reading about OSCE stations is helpful. Practising them out loud, against the clock, is what builds the skill.

• Try 2 free OSCE stations with AI voice interaction
• 125 OSCE stations available across six categories
• 13 OSCE audio lectures with step-by-step walkthroughs
• Read the complete OSCE preparation guide

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Station examples are our own illustrations of the kinds of scenario you may meet, not real exam stations. Actual OSCE stations vary. Practise with diverse scenarios to build adaptability.