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.

Patient-perceived empathy from nurses in Taiwan acute care settings

Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand patient-perceived empathy from nurse among different units of Taiwan acute care settings. Design: A crosssectional study was used with a questionnaire survey in acute care units and intensive care units of a medical center in northern Taiwan. Participants were selected by convenient sampling. A total of 548 patients at 14 acute care units and 4 intensive care units in a large Medical Center participated in this questionnaire survey. Methods: Scale of patient-perceived empathy from nurse including 15 item Likert scale was used in this study. The statistical software SPSS 15.0 for Windows was applied and Cronbach’s α, factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation, t-test and one way ANOVA were conducted to analyze the data. Findings: Patients who were first-time hospitalization had higher scores of patient-perceived empathy from nurse than patients who have had hospitalizing experiences. The patient in surgical unit had the highest score of patient-perceived empathy from nurse. The empathy scale score of patient without ICU experience was significantly higher than patient with ICU experience. Also, patients without depressive history had higher score than patients with depression history. Conclusion: Patients with multiple admissions of hospitalization, ICU experience, and depressive history had lower score than other patients. It is suggested that the perception of patients with complicated disease or condition might be different. Thus, an in-depth caring knowledge of both emotions and disease was needed to support patients’ perception of empathy. Clinical Relevance: The care of complicated patients especially with ICU experience needs strong knowledge based both on emotion and disease.