How to Write a Care Plan in APIE for the NMC OSCE: Steps and a Worked Example
A plan can look right and still lose marks because the problem is vague or the aim is unrealistic. A care plan in APIE has four linked parts, and the NMC OSCE planning station marks every one of them. This guide explains each part, then walks through a filled-in plan, because a finished example teaches more than a list of rules. The planning station sits between assessment and implementation, so a weak plan also weakens the stations around it.
Quick answer (updated October 2026): A care plan in APIE names the nursing problem, sets an aim, lists specific interventions and sets a re-evaluation time, all tied to the scenario. The NMC OSCE planning station format is unchanged for first attempts from 26 October 2026, when new scenarios apply.
Where the Planning Station Fits in APIE
APIE stands for assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. In the NMC OSCE, these are four linked stations that follow one patient, so the plan you write rests on what you found earlier. Findings from your assessment, such as an ABCDE assessment, supply the problems.
The NMC OSCE planning station is a silent written station lasting 14 minutes. The NMC test specification and marking criteria expect two relevant problems or needs, an aim and an appropriate evaluation date for each, current evidence-based nursing actions, and professional terminology. Legible handwriting is marked too. Our guide to all ten stations shows how the NMC OSCE planning station fits into the overall format.
Care Plan in APIE, Step by Step
APIE nursing care planning follows the same four parts every time, and each part has one test question to check it before you move on. Work in this order, because each part depends on the one above it.
Part | What to write | Test question |
Nursing problem | The most urgent need that the scenario and your assessment support, in clinical terms. | Can I point to a finding that proves it? |
Aim of care | One SMART aim: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. | Could someone check it at the re-evaluation? |
Interventions | Specific nursing actions, each starting with an action verb and linked to the aim. Add a referral only if justified. | Would this action fit any other plan? If so, rewrite it. |
Re-evaluation time | A time matched to how quickly the problem changes. | Is this when the aim could realistically be met? |
Every action should trace back to the aim, and the aim back to the problem. That chain is the clinical reasoning the examiner can see on the page, and APIE nursing care planning rewards it more than length.
A Worked Care Plan, From Scenario to Finished Answer
Scenario (original, for illustration): Mrs Clarke, 78, is on day two after a left internal fixation following a fall and fracture. At 08:00, she rates her pain 7 out of 10. She has not opened her bowels for three days.
Pain comes first because she is recovering from surgery. Constipation becomes the second problem, since the station asks for two. This is APIE nursing care planning applied to the first problem, with the reasoning beside each row.
Part | Finished answer | Why it earns the mark |
Nursing problem | Mrs Clarke has pain due to a left internal fixation with a pain scale score of 7/10. | Her pain score and and reason for pain |
Aim of care | Mrs Clarke will verbalise a reduction in pain from a pain scale score of 7/10 to <5/10. | A SMART aim: measurable, time-bound and achievable. |
Interventions | Give prescribed analgesia on time and record its effect.Support with pillows.Assess pain at rest.Teach deep breathing exercises.Refer Mrs Clarke to the pain management team.
| Each action serves the aim. Asking about positions is person-centred care in practice, and the last action is a justified referral, used only because pain has not settled. |
Re-evaluation | After 30 minutes. | It matches the aim, so the plan is judged when the aim falls due. |
Mistakes That Lose Marks and How to Practise
A care plan in APIE usually loses marks in five ways at the NMC OSCE planning station:
An irrelevant problem that no finding supports.
No prioritisation, so a minor need comes before an urgent one.
An unrealistic aim with no measure or time.
Vague actions that would fit any patient.
An unfinished sheet or unclear handwriting. The NMC mock instructions say to complete all sections, and the marking criteria include legible writing.
To practise, build this routine into your practice plan: set a 14-minute timer and write two plans from a scenario of your own; mark each plan with the four test questions; then rewrite the weakest part and repeat with a new scenario. Handwriting speed is part of APIE nursing care planning, so practise on paper, not on screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many problems should the care plan cover?
Two. The planning station asks for two care plans within 14 minutes, each built around one relevant problem or need. Choose the two most urgent findings from the scenario and your assessment, and avoid two problems that overlap.
How do I choose a re-evaluation time?
The marking criteria ask for an appropriate evaluation date for each problem. The NMC adult mock asks for a plan covering the next 24 hours, so choose a time inside that window that suits how quickly the problem changes.
What makes an aim SMART?
The NMC criteria ask for an aim for each problem; SMART is a common way to make it checkable. A SMART aim is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, stating what will change, by how much and by when.
Conclusion
A care plan in APIE is learnable: choose the most urgent problem, set an aim someone could check, write specific actions and time the re-evaluation to fit. Repeat that for a second problem, and practise it against the clock. Examiners can only mark what is written, so clarity matters as much as clinical knowledge. Write the care plan neatly, so that it is readable for the examiner. For guided practice with feedback, book OSCE training with Envertiz Academy. Register now.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only. The NMC OSCE format, marking criteria and station content are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and may change, so check the current test specification and marking criteria for your field. The scenario and care plan above are original illustrations, not NMC material or a model answer.
Comments