I’m happy to share that I’ve taken another step forward: I’ve been invited to sit the OSCE.
This is the final examination on my path to becoming a registered nurse in New Zealand, and I’m really excited about it. Nervous, of course – but this is very different from the practical examination I passed in Germany in 2022: one setting, one patient, in a neurological ICU.
What the OSCE involves
The OSCE consists of 10 simulation stations. Each station lasts 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to read and prepare, 8 minutes to complete the scenario, and 2 minutes to move to the next station. The stations are:
- Mental health assessment.
- Physiological assessment.
- Specific physiological assessment.
- Professional responsibility.
- Emergency management.
- Clinical skills.
- Medication administration.
- Communication and teamwork.
- Planning nursing care.
- Managing the deteriorating patient.
For me, the best preparation is working on a hospital ward. That is one of the reasons I have extended my current service aboard the Africa Mercy in Madagascar.
I’m also practising the different stations with Kiwi Nurse Academy. This is helping me understand high-scoring approaches, avoid common mistakes, and prepare for New Zealand’s expectations around cultural safety, Te Tiriti o Waitangi -the Treaty of Waitangi- communication, and patient rights.
Cultural safety is an important part of nursing practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Nursing Council’s updated 2026 guidance places particular emphasis on relationships, power-sharing, accountability, reflective practice, and addressing bias and structural inequities in healthcare.
Why New Zealand?
Some of you may wonder why I chose New Zealand over Australia (for now).
First, I turned 45 in June, which affected my migration options for Australia. Second, the cost of sitting the exam in Australia is exorbitant, with preparation courses costing roughly the same as the examination – around AU$4,000 each.
Some people argue that the price difference between the two countries reflects the difference in income. But I’m not in for the money but rather for peace and quiet.
Costs (OSCE exam & OSCE prep): 3,500.00 NZ$ & 499.00 NZ$
Test day: 16 December 2026, Christchurch (New Zealand)