The Role of Serious Games in an Advanced Nursing Education

The use of serious games as a teaching strategy in an advanced nursing education is supported by a growing body of evidence. Research suggests that serious games promote active student participation, meet student learning needs, encourage critical thinking and problem solving, and improve student and patient outcomes. The integration of this type of innovative teaching strategy could ultimately result in the creation of more proficient and confident beginning providers who are capable of delivering optimal patient outcomes. The purpose of this project was to develop an outline for a serious virtual reality game that could be used to form a bridge between instructor-supervised learning and independent clinical practice in an advanced nurse-midwifery education at the University of Utah. To accomplish this, this project involved the development of a game design document (GDD) that was intended to serve as the framework for the projected development of an innovative serious video game, Virtual Midwife, to be used by future student nurse midwives. The GDD included one meticulously researched clinical case study (the Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) at Term Case Study) that incorporated current clinical practice guidelines, position statements, and University of Utah curriculum into the formation of a set of rules for the management of PROM. Development of the GDD also included:  Determining game progression and developing an outcome pathway algorithm containing 18 patient presentations and 84 detailed outcome pathways.  Describing what the game would look like, where it would take place, and the characters in the game.  Developing 11 interactive menus to allow players to accomplish tasks such as taking a patient history, performing a physical assessment, ordering laboratory and imaging tests, medications, and/or interventions, monitoring mother and baby, and getting patient status updates.  Evidence-based educational pop-ups to guide and reinforce student learning.  Making the game fun by adding incentives, awards, and competition. The development of the game design document and clinical case study for this project was accomplished through individual research and self-education and with the help of two content experts. This project was originally proposed after submitting a grant request for funding, and was intended to be the first step in a long-term plan to develop and integrate serious games into the College of Nursing's graduate school curriculum. Although funding for this project has not yet been realized, this project was continued in the hopes that it will pave the way for future funding opportunities and serve as a preparatory step in helping the University of Utah develop innovative and effective ways of teaching evidence-based critical thinking and problem solving skills to future nurse midwives. Follow-up projects for future doctor of nursing practice students could include: 1) Exploring and obtaining the funding necessary to get this project developed and implemented. 2) Developing additional curriculum-based case studies. Some suggestions for future case studies include: the diagnosis and management of pre-term labor, pre-eclampsia, postpartum depression, gestational diabetes, and/or spontaneous abortion; contraceptive counseling and management; identification and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; and treatment options for women with amenorrhea and infertility