Learning outcomes in a simulation game for associate degree nursing students

• Published in: Health education monographs Vol. 5 suppl 1; p. 18
• Main Author: Clark-C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.1977
• Subjects: Education, Nursing, Associate; Game Theory; Games, Experimental; Humans; Learning; New York; Nurse-Patient Relations; Role Playing; Teaching - methods; New York
• ISSN: 0073-1455
• DOI: 10.1177/10901981770050S104

Learning outcomes of a simulation game designed to have one-to-one correspondence between behavioral objectives and game plays is reported. The behavioral objectives were core concepts in psychiatric mental health nursing taught to associate degree nursing students. Decisions to use the simulation game method method grew out of difficulties inherent in the community college nursing program, as well as the need for self-paced, efficient, learner-centered learning and evaluative tools. After the trial and revision of the game, a number of research hypotheses were tested. Simulation gaming was found to be an effective mode of learning, and students who acted as teachers for other students learned significantly more than those who were taught. Some of the recommendations for further research were to study varied nursing populations, to add a control group, to test the long-range learning effects of playing the game, to decrease experimenter bias, to study transfer of learning to actual nurse-patient situations and changes in attitudes toward psychiatric patients, and to develop more simulation games for nursing education.