Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40882179›Full record

ArticleJMIR serious games2025

Exploring the Impact of Home-Based Serious Smartphone Resuscitation Gaming on Stress Among Nursing Students Practicing Simulated Adult Basic Life Support: Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial.

Nino Fijačko, Benjamin S Abella, Špela Metličar, Leon Kopitar, Robert Greif, Gregor Štiglic, Pavel Skok, Matej Strnad

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR serious games, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nino FijačkoFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Žitna 15, Maribor, 2000, Slovenia, 386 023004764.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2722-0049
Benjamin S AbellaIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2521-0891
Špela MetličarMedical Dispatch Centre Maribor, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-4051-1736
Leon KopitarFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Žitna 15, Maribor, 2000, Slovenia, 386 023004764.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6647-9988
Robert GreifFaculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0160-2073
Gregor ŠtiglicFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Žitna 15, Maribor, 2000, Slovenia, 386 023004764.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0183-8679
Pavel SkokUniversity Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2891-0295
Matej StrnadFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Žitna 15, Maribor, 2000, Slovenia, 386 023004764.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4505-557X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Simulation-based training is widely used in resuscitation education, yet limited research exists on how serious smartphone games-especially when used independently at home-impact stress levels during simulated adult basic life support (BLS). Understanding this relationship may offer new approaches to preparing health care students for high-stress clinical situations. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a home-based serious resuscitation game, MOBICPR, on physiological stress markers among nursing students performing simulated adult BLS. Methods: In this single-center, randomized, waitlist controlled trial, 43 first-year nursing students were assigned to either an intervention group (IG) or a waitlist control group (WL-CG). Stress was measured at baseline and 2-week and 4-week follow-ups using electrodermal activity (EDA), blood volume pulse (BVP), heart rate (HR), and body temperature (BT) collected via the Empatica E4 wearable (Empatica Inc., USA). Each data collection point included 3 phases: mandala coloring before and after simulated adult BLS performance, and the adult BLS scenario itself. The MOBICPR game-a serious mobile game designed per the 2021 European Resuscitation Council adult BLS guidelines-was played at home over 2 weeks by IG (weeks 0-2) and WL-CG (weeks 2-4). A random forest classifier, trained on the AffectiveRoad dataset, predicted stress levels (none, moderate, and high) based on physiological signals. Results: Of 124 students invited, 43 participated (22 in IG, 21 in WL-CG; 38/43, 88% female; mean age of 19, SD 0.6 years). EDA, BVP, and BT significantly changed across measurement phases in both groups (P<.05), while HR did not show consistent differences (P>.05). Stress classification showed a significant decrease in stress after simulated adult BLS in the IG at the 2-week follow-up (P=.04), but not in the WL-CG. After 2 weeks of gameplay, 12 of 22 participants in the IG had lower stress levels after performing simulated adult BLS compared to before, suggesting an adaptive stress response. No significant group-level stress reductions were observed over time. Conclusions: Short-term, home-based gameplay using a serious resuscitation game modestly influenced physiological indicators of stress during simulated adult BLS among nursing students. While overall group stress levels remained stable, individualized responses suggested improved coping for some. Incorporating serious games into curricula could offer learners safe, gamified environments to rehearse stressful clinical scenarios. Future research should explore optimal game frequency and content depth to maximize educational and emotional resilience outcomes.

Indexed as

adult basic life supportgamingnursing studentrandomized controlled trialRCTserious gamessimulationsmartphonestress

Identifiers

PMID40882179
PMCPMC12396777

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.