Authors
Gabriele Caggianelli, Irene Dello Iacono, Marta Nassi, Rita Patrizia Tomasin, Mauro Pilloni, Arianna Anzini, Giulia Sortino, Fabio Petrelli, Sara Morales Palomares, Valentina Vanzi, Marco Sguanci, Francesco Scerbo, Giovanni Cangelosi, Stefano Mancin
Published in
Journal of professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Volume 66. Pages 146-155. Epub Jun 21, 2026.
Abstract
Nursing education is evolving, adopting innovative methods to improve learning outcomes. Gamification and serious games can enhance engagement and clinical skills, yet integration faces institutional, technological, and practical challenges.
This study identifies the main barriers and facilitators in using gamification and serious games in nursing students' education.
An integrative literature review was conducted following Whittemore and Knafl's methodological approach. Fifteen records published between 2000 and 2024 were included after searches in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, complemented by citation searching. The selection process was reported using the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram.
Facilitators included realistic content, increased engagement, instant feedback, repeated play, and group work. Barriers were lack of practical elements, unclear instructions, time demands, cybersickness, and insufficient faculty training.
Gamification and serious games may support nursing students' engagement, motivation, and skill development when they are pedagogically well designed and adequately integrated into curricula. Addressing implementation barriers, including usability, resource requirements, faculty preparation, and technological limitations, is essential for sustainable use in nursing education.
PMID:
42744426
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Sep 2026.
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