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ABSTRACT
Continuing education programs are used to enhance nurses' emergency decision-making knowledge and skills. Often, these programs are viewed as necessary but boring. An Emergency Pursuit game was developed to provide a novel, challenging, motivating, and cost-effective teaching/learning method. The game is played by teams of nurses who compete for points by answering questions concerning emergency drugs, cardiac arrhythmias, emergency policies and procedures, and non-arrest medical emergencies. Many benefits are realized from a continuing educational program using the Emergency Pursuit game. Of greatest importance is the improved proficiency and performance by nurses during clinical emergency situations.
Rapid assessment, judgment, and action are characteristics of nurses' decision-making in emergency situations. In these situations, there is limited time to search for information, contemplate data, or pursue consultation with others. Therefore, the nurse must have immediate recall of requisite knowledge and confidence in the accuracy of that knowledge to intervene appropriately and quickly. To gain knowledge, skills, and confidence in decision-making in emergency situations, novice nurses often rely on staff educational programs. More experienced nurses use these educational programs to review and update their practice.
Although it is useful and necessary, few nurses look forward to the educational experience of listening to lectures and reviewing die emergency cart and emergency procedure manual. Lectures and review sessions frequendy are viewed as boring (Zurlinden, 1984). To address this issue of "boring but necessary" emergency review, an Emergency Pursuit game was developed to increase nurses' interest and motivation, and to achieve continuing education of important emergency care practices.
GAMES AND LEARNING
Use of Games
In the past decade, the use of games as teaching and learning tools has increased (Barber & Norman, 1989; Hartsock & Lange, 1987). Barber and Norman suggested that die increased use of games was due to a new attitude toward experiential learning methods. Crancer and Maury-Hess (1980), however, stated the increased use of games was the result of criticism concerning educators' lack of innovative teaching methods. Although there is increased interest, Joos (1984) stated that games to enhance learning continue to be underutilized in nursing because they are not considered serious educational tools. \et, games are closer to realistic experiences than the abstract words and pictures used in lectures and texts (Olmstead, 1974). Games provide an...