Pressure Area Assessment: Silent Station Guide for NMC OSCE in 2025

Pressure ulcers are a significant concern in nursing care, particularly for patients with limited mobility. As part of the NMC OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination), the Pressure Area Assessment is a fundamental station that tests your ability to identify risk factors, perform a structured assessment, and assign an appropriate score based on the patient’s condition.

Whether you are an internationally educated nurse preparing for UK registration or a return-to-practice nurse, this guide will break down everything you need to succeed at this NMC OSCE station.

NMC OSCE Pressure Area Assessment Station

In the NMC OSCE, the Pressure Area Assessment is a silent station. This means no patient (actor) or examiner is interacting with you. Instead, you are presented with a patient scenario and documentation chart. You will get 8 minutes to complete the station.

Your Task:

• Interpret the given scenario carefully
• Understand each element of pressure area assessment
• Document the score accurately
• Document a minimum of 8 areas of pressure risk and a minimum of 7 signs of pressure ulcer development

Step-by-Step Guide to the NMC OSCE Pressure Area Assessment

1. Read the Patient Scenario Carefully

You will be given each element information in the scenario, such as:

• Sensory perception
• Moisture
• Activity
• Mobility
• Nutrition
• Friction and shear

2. Understand each element accurately

• Sensory perception- It indicates the ability to respond meaningfully to pressure-related discomfort. We score on the basis of the patient’s ability to respond.
• Moisture- Degree to which skin is exposed to moisture. Here, consider urine incontinence while identifying the score.
• Activity- Degree of physical activity. For identifying score, check the scenario and identify whether the patient is bedridden or able to sit, or can occasionally walk.
• Mobility- Ability to change and control body position.
• Nutrition- Usual food intake pattern. Here, checks the quantity of food the patient consumes and if taking any supplements or not
• Friction and shear- Assistance in moving

Identify each element score as per the information given in the scenario. Match details with the chart and score accurately.

Download Marking Criteria

Enter the status of your OSCE preparation to get customized OSCE Updates and Tips 

Blank Form (#5)

Email

Country

Select CountryAfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelauBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)DenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacao S.A.R., ChinaMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth KoreaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRepublic of the Congo (Brazzaville)ReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint BarthélemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (Dutch part)Saint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia/Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom (UK)United States (US)United States (US) Minor Outlying IslandsUnited States (US) Virgin IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

Phone

Have you booked for your OSCE?

Yes

No

Exam Date

Are you a merlin candidate?

Yes

No

I consent to have this website to send emails on new updates and tips

Submit Form

3. Use the provided Braden chart

This Braden scoring tool includes several risk categories:

4. Document Your Score Clearly

You need to record:

• Each element scored correctly
• Total score of the scenario
• Minimum of 8 areas of pressure risk and a minimum of 7 signs of pressure ulcer development
• The most vulnerable areas of pressure risk- Heels, sacrum, buttocks, elbows, temporal region of the skull, shoulders, hips, back of head, toes, ears, and spine.
• The most vulnerable sign of pressure ulcer development- Persistent erythema, non-blanching hyperaemia, blisters, discolouration, localised heat, localised oedema, localised indurations, purplish/bluish localised areas, localised coolness.

 Tips for Success

• Follow a systematic approach for NMC OSCE Pressure area assessment
• Understand the Braden tool thoroughly
• Practise different scenarios and score elements
• Stay within your station time limit
• Neatly document all the details and score

Mastering the Pressure Area Assessment silent station is not just about passing your NMC OSCE; it is about protecting vulnerable patients from harm. The Pressure Area Assessment station is silent, but your documentation speaks volumes. A systematic approach will help you with the preparation of the NMC OSCE

With preparation, practice, and precision, you’ll be ready to approach this station confidently and achieve it in the NMC OSCE.

NMC OSCE for Nurses: Everything You Need to Know in 2025. Click Here

For any NMC OSCE OSCE-related queries and Training, Chat with us!