Interprofessional peer teaching linked to higher clinical skills scores in small randomized nursing study

Interprofessional peer teaching was associated with higher clinical skills scores than teacher-centered instruction in a small, single-blind interventional study involving third-semester nursing students. The study abstract reports a mean objective structured clinical examination score of 93.08 ± 3.52 in the interprofessional peer teaching group, compared with 87.60 ± 8.24 in the teacher-centered group, a statistically significant difference (p = 0.005). The two groups did not differ significantly in satisfaction or test anxiety.

The trial was conducted from September to December 2018 and included 49 third-semester nursing students selected using census sampling. Participants were randomly allocated by computer-generated random sequence to teacher-centered instruction (n = 25) or interprofessional peer teaching (n = 24). The groups were comparable in demographic characteristics. In the teacher-centered condition, instruction was delivered by a faculty member using traditional methods. In the interprofessional condition, a seventh-semester nursing student with the highest OSCE score served as peer mentor, while a medical intern performed a practical ward-related task.

Students completed the Learner Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Friedman Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Mean satisfaction scores were 83.71 ± 17.80 for interprofessional peer teaching and 82.76 ± 10.55 for teacher-centered instruction (p = 0.823). Mean test anxiety scores were 55.33 ± 6.43 and 53.32 ± 6.56, respectively (p = 0.284). The abstract reports that data were analyzed in SPSS version 18 using chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, independent t-tests and repeated-measures tests. Thus, the measured difference was specific to clinical skills scores in this trial; the reported results did not demonstrate a significant between-group difference in either satisfaction or test anxiety.

The findings are based on the published abstract, which does not provide details about baseline OSCE scores, attrition, confidence intervals, the duration of follow-up or the procedures used to maintain single blindness. The sample was also small, comprising 49 students, so the results characterize outcomes in this study population and do not establish that the same effects would occur in other nursing programs or educational settings. The study compared two instructional approaches among nursing students and did not evaluate clinical benefits for patients or clinical practice.

Subject of Research: Comparison of teacher-centered and interprofessional peer teaching for nursing students’ clinical skills, test anxiety and satisfaction

Article Title: Comparison of teacher-centered and interprofessional peer teaching approaches on clinical skills, test anxiety, and satisfaction among nursing students: a single-blind interventional study

Article References: Akbari, A., Shojaei, M., Hosseini, F., & Abolhasani, Y. (2026). Comparison of teacher-centered and interprofessional peer teaching approaches on clinical skills, test anxiety, and satisfaction among nursing students: a single-blind interventional study. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05353-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05353-w

Keywords: nursing education, interprofessional teaching, peer teaching, clinical skills, OSCE, test anxiety, student satisfaction, randomized trial, Comparison, teacher-centered, interprofessional, peer