Download or read book An Integrative Review: Educating Healthcare Professionals Using Serious Games and Virtual Simulation written by Elizabeth A. Collins and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Serious games, those used for educational purposes, provide a suitable alternative to customary methods of teaching and learning (Hainey, 2010) and have been identified as appropriate for preparing healthcare professionals to successfully practice in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment. This paper addresses the following question, what is the empirical evidence that supports the use of serious games and virtual simulation in educating healthcare professionals? This review included studies from five different countries including the U.S. and from several healthcare professions such as nursing, medicine, public health, and occupational therapy. Nine quantitative and one mixed methods studies were reviewed. Garrison's Community of Inquiry Theory was used as a framework for analysis of studies using serious games. The use of these novel teaching strategies was found to increase the levels of student engagement and improve learning and understanding. These studies showed that the advantages of serious games were that they provided immediate feedback, created real-life situations, addressed faculty shortages, protected patient confidentiality, offered alternatives to clinical sites, and provided unique clinical experiences from nursing students. To capitalize on these advantages and find success with this approach, it is recommended that nursing educators need a solid understanding of game-based learning (Kanthan & Senger, 2011). Educators need to continue to design tools that evaluate the learning outcomes of serious games, specifically in the practice setting. Additionally, implementing innovative teaching methods such as serious games requires collaboration between researchers and educators to establish a foundation for evidence-based teaching.