The Gamification of Jurisprudence: Innovation in Registered Nurse Regulation

The principles of online games-known as gamification-were used to develop a means both to educate registered nurses in jurisprudence and to assess their competence in this knowledge. As a requirement for registration with the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), the method also needed to be psychometrically defensible. An innovative module that educates applicants in nursing jurisprudence and assesses competence for registration in an engaging way is described. Although gamification has been used in many educational applications to improve outcomes and increase engagement, the researchers could find no examples of it being used in a psychometrically defensible assessment. Initial results from pilot testing indicate that the module delivers a valid assessment of jurisprudence knowledge and participant engagement with the content. An implication of this project for nursing regulation is a philosophical repositioning of self-regulation to a more relational perspective.