Gamification in Stomatherapy: Virtual Game for Pressure Injury Care

Pressure injuries are injuries caused by reduced blood circulation over regular and repetitive periods when applying pressure to a specific area of the body. This incident requires daily prevention and health promotion to prevent its occurrence.

To develop and evaluate a virtual board game with guidelines for pressure injury prevention for nurses specializing in stoma therapy.

This is an applied, exploratory, and descriptive technological development study. The game was developed in stages consisting of: conceptual review, definition of the game dynamics, initial design of the board and cards, creation of the cards, and definition of the components. The study stages include development with a specialist team, testing and validation of the platform with specialist nurses, and subsequently, release of the final product.

The results showed high acceptance of the game among the 17 participants, with emphasis on high levels of engagement and learning (≥ 94% reported acquiring new knowledge), ease of use (≥ 82% strongly agreed with the intuitiveness of the interface), and intention to continue using it (94% expressed a desire to continue using and recommend the tool). The main limitations identified were related to technical difficulties during installation and the lack of interactive features for multiple users.

The results of this study reinforce the potential of gamification as a complementary and innovative strategy for teaching stomatherapy. The prototype proved to be an effective and well-accepted tool for educating nurses on pressure injury prevention, with significant potential for improving knowledge and clinical practice. It is believed that gamification, combined with theoretical teaching and practical learning, can mobilize and engage participants, significantly contributing to the development of highly qualified professionals and, consequently, improving the quality of patient care.