Gaming in Nursing Education: Recent Trends and Future Paths

BACKGROUND: Game-based learning has attracted much attention in education in recent years due to its ability to increase student motivation and engagement in learning. This study reviewed the literature to answer the research questions: What learning outcomes have been linked to games in nursing education? What are potential gaps in the field's knowledge regarding games in nursing education? METHOD: A systematic literature search was completed in CINAHL and Google Scholar from 2009-2019 with the keywords of games, gaming, and nursing education. RESULTS: A total of 49 papers were identified; of these, 34 were excluded, and 15 empirical studies were evaluated. The majority reported beneficial learning outcomes, such as increased knowledge, higher test scores, and positive student comments. Several methodological weaknesses were noted, such as small sample sizes, convenience samples, and lack of control groups or randomization. CONCLUSION: Games have the potential to prepare new nurses for improved clinical decision making. More robust research methodologies are needed to confirm best practices for educators. J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(7):375-381..