An emergency pursuit game: a method for teaching emergency decision-making skills

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.