Background: To evaluate the validity and reliability of assessing the performance of n ursing students using the Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS).

  Materials and Method: This research was conducted on 55 nursing internship students in 8 procedures. A DOPS consisted of an assessor observing a student when performing skills, completing a checklist with the student and providing verbal feedback. The procedures were selected among the core skills of nursing according to the views of faculty members. Content validity, criterion validity (correlation the average scores of nursing clinical and theoretical courses separately with DOPS score, relation of each item with DOPS), construct validity (inspection of internal construction), reliability (examination of internal consistency, inter-rater reliability) were examined.

  Results: Correlation of DOPS scores with the theoretical and clinical average scores were 0.117 (p=0.429) and 0.376 (p= 0.008) respectively. There has been a significant relation between each skill and DOPS total score (p= 0.001) that indicates a desired internal construction of the exercise. The reliability of the exercise was measured as 94% by Cronbach alpha coefficient. Minimum and maximum correlation coefficient in the inter-rater reliability were 42% and 84% respectively which were significant in all cases (p=0 .001).

  Conclusion: In conclusion, our results showed that DOPS has the validity and reliability for objective evaluation of procedural skills in nursing. [ZJRMS, 2012; 14(2): 76-81 ]