Red Flags in the NMC OSCE: What Every Candidate Must Know

Red Flags in the NMC OSCE: Preparing for the NMC OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) can feel overwhelming for international nurses and midwives who want to register and practice in the UK. While the exam primarily assesses your ability to apply professional knowledge and deliver safe patient care, there are certain critical areas where mistakes are treated more seriously.

Unlike minor slips, red flags represent actions or omissions that pose a direct risk to patient safety. If a candidate commits one of these during a station, it can result in an automatic failure, regardless of how well the rest of the station was performed. Understanding and avoiding red flags is therefore crucial for success in the NMC OSCE.

In this blog, we will break down the reasons for red flags, discuss common examples, and share practical tips to avoid those errors.

What Are Red Flags in the NMC OSCE?

What Are Red Flags in the NMC OSCE?

Red flags are serious breaches of professional practice that compromise patient safety, dignity, or well-being. They usually involve unsafe clinical decisions, poor infection control, or unethical behaviour. In the NMC OSCE marking criteria, red flags are designed to highlight the “must not do” aspects of practice.

Think of them as the absolute basics that every nurse should always get right.

Common Red Flags in the NMC OSCE

Here are some of the most frequently encountered red flags across different stations:

3. Medication Safety Breaches

• Skipping the elements of prescription reading and medication administration.
• Administering a drug without checking for allergy, overdose, and safe administration.
• Ignoring critical signs of drug contraindications.

Why it matters: Safe administration of medicines is a cornerstone of nursing practice. Ensure that you validate the prescription and administer the correct due medications after checking for allergies, overdose, and safety concerns.

4. Neglecting Patient Safety and Dignity

• Leaving the patient exposed unnecessarily.
• Not explaining procedures or gaining consent.

Why it matters: Patient dignity and privacy are fundamental values in UK nursing practice.

5. Critical Assessment Failures

• Ignoring abnormal vital signs without escalating.
• Document vitals incorrectly.

Why it matters: Nurses are often the first to observe vitals. Failure to document and escalate can cost lives.

6. Documentation and Communication Errors

• Failing to document accurately.
• Recording false information.
• Not handing over essential details to the doctor or other nurse.

Why it matters: Accurate documentation and clear communication are legal and professional requirements.

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

Why Red Flags Are Taken So Seriously

The NMC’s main priority is to provide protection. The OSCE is not just an academic exam; it is a test of whether you can deliver safe and effective care in the UK. Red flags signal that a candidate may be unsafe to practice without further training or supervision.

By identifying red flags, examiners can distinguish between a simple knowledge gap and a potentially dangerous practice.

How to Avoid Red Flags in the NMC OSCE

Here are some practical strategies:

1. Follow a structured approach – Use marking criteria for station practice. This reduces the chance of missing steps.
2. Practice excellent hand hygiene – Start and finish every station with hand hygiene, and perform it whenever clinically indicated.
3. Always check identity – Even in a simulated environment, treat the mannequin or actor as a real patient and confirm identity and allergy status.
4. Verbalise your actions – Say out loud what you are doing. This shows the assessor that you are aware of safety protocols.
5. Prioritise patient dignity – Always ask for consent, explain procedures, and cover the patient appropriately.
6. Stay calm under pressure – Many red flags occur when candidates rush. Take a deep breath, focus on safety and accuracy.

Passing the NMC OSCE is not about perfection, but about practising safely, effectively, and compassionately. Red flags highlight the areas where safety can never be compromised. By recognising these pitfalls and practising safe habits consistently, you will not only improve your chances of passing the NMC OSCE but also become a more confident and competent nurse in the UK healthcare system.

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!