A Practical Innovation in Scoring the Ottawa Resident Observation Form for Nurses (O-RON)

Authors

• Pei-Yu Chen, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Chui-Jia Farn, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Kuan-Wen Wu, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Ting-Ming Wang, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Chih-Kai Hong, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

Chih-Kai Hong: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3231-1789

Document Type

Innovation

Abstract

Background: The Ottawa Resident Observation Form for Nurses (O-RON) is increasingly used for workplace-based assessment, yet guidance on numerical scoring remains limited, potentially affecting interpretability and educational utility.
Objectives: To explore an innovative, practical approach to numerical scoring for O-RON that balances reliability, discrimination, and usability in clinical education.
Methods: Nine alternative scoring schemes were examined by varying the middle-category score between 1 and 9 while fixing extreme categories at 0 and 10. Thirteen nurses evaluated four first-year orthopaedic residents using the Chinese O-RON. Internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, criterion-related performance, and group discrimination were explored across scoring schemes.
Results: Higher middle-category scores were associated with improved reliability but reduced discrimination. An equal-interval scoring scheme (0–5–10) demonstrated a favorable balance across measurement properties while offering intuitive interpretation for clinical educators.
Conclusions: This innovation proposes a practical numerical scoring approach for nurse-based resident assessment that may enhance interpretability and educational usefulness, and warrants further investigation in larger, multi-institutional settings.

First Page

118

Last Page

124

Recommended Citation

Chen, Pei-Yu; Farn, Chui-Jia; Wu, Kuan-Wen; Wang, Ting-Ming; and Hong, Chih-Kai (2026) "A Practical Innovation in Scoring the Ottawa Resident Observation Form for Nurses (O-RON)," Journal of Medical Education: Vol. 30: Iss. 2, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.67010/1028-2424.2057
Available at: https://jme.researchcommons.org/journal/vol30/iss2/8