The Effect of Game-Based Clinical Nursing Skills Mobile Application on Nursing Students

Nursing education using mobile devices is emerging as a new educational method showing higher learning achievement than traditional nursing education. This study aimed to develop a game-based mobile application and evaluate nursing students' learning achievement and experiences using a mixed-methods design. The application was developed into eight games on different nursing skills. Thirty nursing students were instructed to use the application for a week in the one-group pretest-posttest study design. Their pretest and posttest knowledge, postlearning efficiency, satisfaction, and convenience were evaluated. The focus group interviews were conducted by dividing 15 students into three groups, and their experience of the application was analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. The nursing students' knowledge significantly improved after using the application (t = 4.71, P < .001). The efficiency was the number of days (3.3 ± 2.0), the number of use per login (5.3 ± 4.0), and the number of successes per login (2.7 ± 2.9). Satisfaction and convenience scores were 4.9 ± 1.3 and 4.7 ± 1.2 out of 7. In the thematic analysis, themes through which the students were motivated, made learning plans, and received feedback by efficient game-based interactive educational content were drawn. Game-based mobile nursing education could be an adjunct to traditional clinical education strategies and induce a positive learning effect.