JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

As medical education evolves, incorporating innovative teaching methods is crucial for developing nursing students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Game-based learning (GBL) has gained popularity, engaging students through immersive experiences and allowing personalized learning.

Objective:

This systematic review aims to investigate the impact of educational games on nursing education outcomes.

Methods:

In this study, the authors systematically searched the four public databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science) to investigate the role of educational games in improving the clinical skills of nursing students. This paper is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist 2020. We also checked the bias risk of selected studies by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) bias assessment tool.

Results:

In this study, a total of 801 articles were initially retrieved using a specified search strategy, with 39 articles remaining after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These articles, published between 2018 and 2023, spanned various countries and focused on diverse learning objectives, including diagnostic reasoning and cognitive skills enhancement, utilizing multiple game platforms. While many games utilized web-based platforms, few were conducted in person and some were developed in smartphone app formats.

Conclusions:

GBL is transforming nursing education by enhancing student engagement and clinical skills through immersive experiences. Despite its advantages, GBL faces challenges such as development costs and the effect of expertise reversal. Future research should focus on multilingual studies and long-term assessments to evaluate its impact on nursing competencies and patient outcomes.