The Effectiveness of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Computer Game as a Learning Tool for Nursing Students

Simulation games that are close to actual clinical situations can assist students in the learning process and, through the active presentation of subject material, help them acquire necessary knowledge. The aims of this study were to develop a computer game focused on caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the outpatient clinic and to evaluate the nursing students’ change in knowledge and their satisfaction score after they played this computer game. This study had a randomized pre-/post-control experimental design. How to assess and care for patients with dyspnea episodes, the use of inhalants, the effects of weather changes, and breathing exercises for patients with COPD were the key content elements of the computer game developed by the study team. The COPD care knowledge test and satisfaction questionnaire were the evaluation instruments. Sixty-eight junior nursing students participated in this study. Of these 68 participants, 35 were randomly assigned to the control group and 33 were randomly assigned to the experimental group. Each group finished the pretest, then played the game for 20 minutes, and then did the post-test questionnaire. The results of this study determined that the COPD care knowledge score was significantly improved after playing the game in the experimental group (t = 2.24, P < 0.05). The experimental group responded that the computer game could help them clearly understand ways to take care of patients with COPD in the outpatient clinic. Important suggestions were to add reflection session after playing the computer game and to modify the fluency of the operation procedures. The experience and results of this study could apply not only to the teaching strategy for nursing students, but also for further developing a game for patient education.