The effect of targeted and game-based pharmacology ‎education on nursing students' pharmacology scores

Background & Aim: The inadequate level of pharmaceutical knowledge of nursing students carries the risk of medication errors, and this is one of the main concerns of clinical educators. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of targeted and game-based pharmacology education on pharmacology scores of nursing students. Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental interventional study was conducted through the census method on third-semester nursing students of Abadan University of Medical Sciences in 2018-2019. The intervention included teaching clinical pharmacology in the form of game during an internship course (including 10 sessions). The first to third sessions included holding the pharmacology theoretical class, the fourth to ninth sessions included playing game, theoretical classes, and clinical practice, and the tenth session included a station review program and a competitive pharmaceutical data pool program. The pharmacology exam was given before and after the intervention. The data was analyzed by paired t-test using the SPSS software version 18. Results: There were 77 students until the end of the study, of whom 42 were female and 35 were male. Their mean age was 21±2 years, the total average of students was 15.57±3.81 with a mean pharmacology score of 14.74±3.42. According to the test results, the pre-test mean score was 26.06±5.83 and the post-test mean score was 31.58±4.02, which indicated a significant difference between before and after the intervention (P<0.001). Conclusion: This purposeful educational program increased the level of pharmacology scores of nursing students and can be used as a suitable method to improve students' knowledge and understanding of pharmacology.