20/07/2026
Story time: The day Last Offices OSCE humbled me. ππ
(For starters, Last Offices is the nursing procedure performed to prepare a deceased person respectfully before they are taken to the mortuary.)
Before they called my name, I was busy advising my classmates: "Relax, it's just OSCE. We've practiced this before." π
Then they opened the trolley... Dead body?π³π’
The examiner looked at me and said, "Proceed with the last offices."
My brain immediately entered airplane mode.
Examiner: "Candidate number?"
Me: "Candidate number... umm... candidate..." π
Then I looked at the body...
Fresh.
Ahhhhhhhhh! π
My heart started beating like I was the one about to be examined... well, technically I was. π
Examiner: "You may proceed with the last offices."
Proceed ke?
I was panting like I had just run from Lagos to Abuja.
Then I finally remembered one thing.
"Ma, I wear my gloves."
Silence.
"Ma, I wear my gloves."
Another silence.
"Ma... I wear my gloves."
Yes o... I announced it about three times because I couldn't remember what came next. ππ
Then my nursing instinct took over.
I faced the body and said,
"Good morning. My name is Student Nurse... I'll be taking care of you today. I've come to carry out your last offices..." π€£π€£
Halfway through, I froze.
Wait...
Did I just introduce myself and try to obtain consent from? ππ
You know how they drill it into our heads: "Introduce yourself. Explain the procedure. Obtain consent."
My brain refused to accept that this was the one time consent wasn't going to come. π
The examiner just looked at me. π
At that point, I just started saying every step I could remember.
"Maintain privacy..."
"Remove jewelry..."
"Document findings..."
Whether I touched the body once, twice, or not sef... only God, the examiner, and that OSCE station know. ππ
Omo!
When they finally said, "Thank you, candidate."
I've never been happier to hear "thank you" in my life. π
I ran out of that station.
I was already planning how to change department from nursing to... anything else. ππ€£
Looking back now, it's one of the funniest memories from nursing school.
If you're a nursing student, just know this:
OSCE will humble you... but you'll survive it. πβ€οΈ
And if you've ever performed Last Offices before...
Tell me I'm not the only one whose brain suddenly stopped working during OSCE EXAM ππ