Criticality: the experience of developing an interactive educational tool based on board games

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Critical Care Medicine
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Expansion of critical care services has led to increased recruitment of nurses new to the specialty.
• Formal education programs, such as the Foundations in Acute and Critical Care Module, were developed to equip these nurses with essential skills.
• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a key role in providing structured learning for critical care nursing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share the experience of developing "Criticality," a board game for formative assessment.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a board game as a learning and revision tool for critical care nurses.
• To provide an engaging method for nurses to identify knowledge strengths and weaknesses post-module.

Main Methods:

• Development of a board game named "Criticality" tailored for critical care nursing education.
• Utilizing the board game as a formative assessment tool within a Higher Education Institution setting.
• Observing and gathering author experience on the game's utility as a revision aid.

Main Results:

• "Criticality" functions as a valuable revision tool for critical care nurses.
• The board game is perceived as fun and interactive by nursing students.
• The game effectively helps students pinpoint areas of knowledge requiring further study before formal evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Board games like "Criticality" can be effective tools for formative learning in specialized nursing fields.
• Interactive assessments can enhance knowledge retention and guide targeted revision for critical care nurses.
• Integrating innovative educational tools supports the development of competent critical care nursing professionals.