NCT07239206

Serious Game for Improving Targeted Temperature Management Knowledge and Situational Awareness in Critical Care Nurses

Effectiveness of Serious Game on Facilitating Targeted Temperature Management Knowledge and Situational Awareness Among Critical Care Nurses

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: National Taiwan University Clinical Trial Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a serious game in improving targeted temperature management (TTM) knowledge and situational awareness among critical care nurses. A total of 120 nurses from adult intensive care units will be randomly assigned to either a control group receiving traditional lecture-based teaching or an experimental group receiving lecture-based teaching combined with a digital serious game. Outcomes will be measured using a TTM knowledge test, a situational awareness scale, and a system usability scale. The findings will provide evidence for the use of serious games as an innovative educational strategy to enhance post-resuscitation care quality and patient safety.

Detailed description

Targeted temperature management (TTM) is an evidence-based neuroprotective strategy recommended for patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest. Despite its clinical importance, critical care nurses often lack sufficient knowledge and situational awareness to effectively implement TTM, due to limited exposure to relevant cases and time constraints in training. Conventional teaching methods, while beneficial, face challenges such as limited resources, time, and opportunities for repeated practice. Serious games, which integrate educational content with interactive digital game elements, offer a flexible and engaging learning tool that enables repeated practice in a safe, simulated environment. Previous studies have shown that serious games can enhance learners' motivation, knowledge retention, and decision-making skills. This study will develop and implement a serious game specifically designed for TTM education. The randomized controlled trial will enroll 120 intensive care unit nurses, randomly allocated into two groups: the control group will receive lecture-based teaching with case discussion, while the experimental group will receive the same content supplemented with the serious game for additional practice. All participants will complete a pre-test, a post-test one week after the intervention, and a follow-up test at six weeks. The primary outcome will be the improvement in TTM knowledge, and secondary outcomes will include situational awareness and system usability (experimental group only). The study is expected to provide evidence that serious games are an effective and scalable strategy for enhancing TTM-related knowledge and situational awareness, thereby supporting better quality of post-resuscitation care and patient safety.

Conditions

• Targeted Temperature Management
• Nursing Education
• Serious Game
• Cardiac Arrest

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Serious Game Intervention	A digital serious game designed to train critical care nurses in targeted temperature management (TTM). The game features case-based simulations, interactive decision-making, and real-time feedback to improve clinical reasoning and situational awareness.
BEHAVIORAL	Lecture-based Education	Standard lecture-based teaching covering the principles, procedures, and nursing care of targeted temperature management (TTM). Participants in this group do not receive the serious game component.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-19
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2025-11-20
• Last updated: 2026-01-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Taiwan