TY  - JOUR
AU  - Fijačko, Nino
AU  - Masterson Creber, Ruth
AU  - Metličar, Špela
AU  - Strnad, Matej
AU  - Greif, Robert
AU  - Štiglic, Gregor
AU  - Skok, Pavel
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/4/5
TI  - Effects of a Serious Smartphone Game on Nursing Students' Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills in Adult Basic Life Support: Randomized Wait List–Controlled Trial
JO  - JMIR Serious Games
SP  - e56037
VL  - 12
KW  - serious smartphone game
KW  - adult basic life support
KW  - teaching
KW  - game
KW  - games
KW  - gaming
KW  - education
KW  - nurse
KW  - nursing
KW  - nurses
KW  - educational
KW  - mHealth
KW  - mobile health
KW  - app
KW  - apps
KW  - application
KW  - applications
KW  - smartphone
KW  - smartphones
KW  - RCT
KW  - randomized controlled trial
KW  - controlled trial
KW  - technology-enhanced learning
KW  - TEL
KW  - life support
KW  - knowledge retention
KW  - theoretical knowledge
KW  - practice
KW  - practical
KW  - resuscitation
AB  - Background: Retention of adult basic life support (BLS) knowledge and skills after professional training declines over time. To combat this, the European Resuscitation Council and the American Heart Association recommend shorter, more frequent BLS sessions. Emphasizing technology-enhanced learning, such as mobile learning, aims to increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival and is becoming more integral in nursing education. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether playing a serious smartphone game called MOBICPR at home can improve and retain nursing students’ theoretical knowledge of and practical skills in adult BLS. Methods: This study used a randomized wait list–controlled design. Nursing students were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a MOBICPR intervention group (MOBICPR-IG) or a wait-list control group (WL-CG), where the latter received the MOBICPR game 2 weeks after the MOBICPR-IG. The aim of the MOBICPR game is to engage participants in using smartphone gestures (eg, tapping) and actions (eg, talking) to perform evidence-based adult BLS on a virtual patient with OHCA. The participants’ theoretical knowledge of adult BLS was assessed using a questionnaire, while their practical skills were evaluated on cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality parameters using a manikin and a checklist. Results: In total, 43 nursing students participated in the study, 22 (51%) in MOBICPR-IG and 21 (49%) in WL-CG. There were differences between the MOBICPR-IG and the WL-CG in theoretical knowledge (P=.04) but not in practical skills (P=.45) after MOBICPR game playing at home. No difference was noted in the retention of participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills of adult BLS after a 2-week break from playing the MOBICPR game (P=.13). Key observations included challenges in response checks with a face-down manikin and a general neglect of safety protocols when using an automated external defibrillator. Conclusions: Playing the MOBICPR game at home has the greatest impact on improving the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS in nursing students but not their practical skills. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse scenarios into adult BLS training. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05784675); https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05784675 
SN  - 2291-9279
UR  - https://games.jmir.org/2024/1/e56037
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/56037
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38578690
DO  - 10.2196/56037
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/56037
ER  -