"Playing with Surgical Instruments (PlaSurIn)" game to train operating room novices how to set up basic surgical instruments: A validation study

Comparison of the effects of apprenticeship training by sandwich feedback and traditional methods on final-semester operating room technology students' perioperative competence and performance: a randomized, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Effective feedback is fundamental in clinical education, as it allows trainers to constantly diagnose the trainees' condition, determine their weaknesses, and intervene at proper times. Recently, different feedback-based approaches have been introduced in clinical training; however, the effectiveness of such interventions still needs to be studied extensively, especially in the perioperative field. Therefore, this study sought to compare the effects of apprenticeship training using sandwich feedback and traditional methods on the perioperative competence and performance of Operating Room (OR) technology students.

METHODS

Thirty final-semester undergraduate OR technology students taking the apprenticeship courses were randomly allocated into experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups through the stratified randomization approach. The students in the experimental group experienced Feedback-Based Learning (FBL) using a sandwich model, and the students in the control group participated in Traditional-Based Training (TBT) in six five-hour sessions weekly for three consecutive weeks. All students completed the Persian version of the Perceived Perioperative Competence Scale-Revised (PPCS-R) on the first and last days of interventions. Also, a blinded rater completed a checklist to evaluate all students' performance via Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) on the last intervention day. Besides, the students in the FBL filled out a questionnaire regarding their attitude toward the implemented program.

RESULTS

The mean total score of the PPCS-R was significantly higher in the FBL than in the TBT on the last intervention day (P < 0.001). Additionally, the increase in mean change of PPCS-R total score from the first to last days was significantly more in the FBL (P < 0.001). Likewise, the FBL students had higher DOPS scores than the TBT ones (P < 0.001). Most FBL students also had a good attitude toward the implemented program (n = 8; 53.3%).

CONCLUSION

Apprenticeship training using a sandwich feedback-based approach was superior to the traditional method for enhancing perioperative competence and performance of final-semester OR technology students. Additional studies are required to identify the sustainability of the findings.

Can gamified surgical sets improve surgical instrument recognition and student performance retention in the operating room? A multi-institutional experimental crossover study

INTRODUCTION

Surgery requires a high degree of precision, speed, and concentration. Owing to the complexity of the modern world, traditional methods cannot meet these requirements. Therefore, in this study, we investigated students' diagnostic skills in the Operating Room in the context of surgical instruments by using gamification of surgical instruments and a crossover design.

METHOD

The study design was a multi-institutional quasi-experimental crossover and involved a three-arm intervention (with gender-specific block randomisation: Group A, B, and C) with a pre-test and three post-tests. A total of 90 students fell into three groups of 30 participants each. The surgical sets were learned for one semester through game-based instruction and traditional teaching, and then three OSCE tests were administered with time and location differences. Using one-way ANOVA, OSCE results were compared in the game, traditional, and control groups. The effectiveness of the intervention was tested in each group by repeated measures.

RESULT

The pretest scores of all three groups did not differ significantly. In the OSCE tests, both groups, A and B, performed similarly. However, these tests showed a significant difference in grouping between training through games and training in the traditional way. There was no significant difference between OSCE tests 2 and 3 in the game-based training group, indicating that what was learned was retained, while in the traditional method training group, OSCE 3 test scores declined significantly. Furthermore, repeated measures showed the effectiveness of game-based training.

CONCLUSION

In this study, gamification has turned out to be very effective in helping learners learn practical skills and leading to more sustainable learning.

Comparison of the effects of virtual training by serious game and lecture on operating room novices' knowledge and performance about surgical instruments setup: a multi-center, two-arm study

BACKGROUND

Game-based training is increasingly implemented in different nursing fields, as it allows students to learn experientially, with the flexibility to regulate their training based on their personal progresses and abilities. This study aimed to compare the effects of virtual training by the "Playing with Surgical Instruments (PlaSurIn)" game and the lecture on the surgical instruments setup knowledge and performance of Operating Room (OR) novices.

METHODS

This study was conducted on 51 s-semester undergraduate OR technology students taking the course "An Introduction to Surgical Instruments and Equipment." An additional virtual training session was held via a learning management system using two different methods. The students of the Game Training Group (GTG, n = 27) played individually with the "PlaSurIn" game during a week, while the students of the Lecture Training Group (LTG, n = 24) received the lecture-based training during a week. To measure knowledge, all the students participated in a theoretical test with 10 multiple-choice questions before and immediately after the training. They also participated in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) after the training, and their performance was evaluated by the remained time for setup completion and the scores, errors, and bonuses.

RESULTS

The mean score of the theoretical test was significantly higher in the GTG than in the LTG after the training (p = 0.040). Additionally, the GTG participants had higher scores (p = 0.016), fewer errors (p = 0.001), and higher bonuses (p = 0.011) compared to the LTG ones. The remained time for setup completion was also significantly longer in the GTG than in the LTG (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Virtual training by "PlaSurIn" was superior to the lecture-based method for the enhancement of surgical instruments setup knowledge and performance amongst OR novices.

Usefulness of Digital Game-Based Learning in Nursing and Occupational Therapy Degrees: A Comparative Study at the University of Burgos

Teaching in higher education in the 21st century is moving towards e-Learning or b-Learning teaching models. This situation has increased due to the SARS CoV-2 health crisis. Therefore, teaching–learning models must be based on the use of active methodologies that facilitate students’ motivation to work in learning management systems (LMS). One of the most current resources is the digital game-based learning (DGBL) use, specifically in health sciences degrees (e.g., nursing). In this study, we worked with 225 third-year students of degrees in nursing (ND) and occupational therapy (OTD). The objectives were (1) to find out if there were significant differences between students who had worked with DGBL techniques vs. those who had not, and (2) to find out if there were significant differences depending on the type of degree (ND vs. OTD) regarding access to the LMS, learning outcomes and students’ satisfaction with teachers’ performance. A mixed-method research approach was applied. In the quantitative study, significant differences were found in the accesses to the LMS in favor of the groups that had worked with DGBL techniques. Significant differences were also found in ND students with respect to learning outcomes in the group that worked with DGBL. Regarding the results of the qualitative study, differences were found in the frequency of interaction and in the preference of DGBL activities depending on the type of degree. Further studies will investigate the possible causes of these differences.