Comparing the effectiveness of board game-based and drill-based education programs in improving Taiwanese nurses' fire safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavior: A quasi-experimental study

Fire education is currently dominated by drill-based programs, however only a limited number of participants may take part in fire drills. This gap could be addressed by the development of innovative board game-based educational programs. This study sought to compare the effectiveness of board game-based and drill-based fire safety education programs in improving nurses' fire safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. In this quasi-experimental study, 122 nurses were purposively sampled from a hospital in southern Taiwan. The participants were divided into two groups based on their willingness. Sixty-two nurses in the game-based group took part in an hour-long educational board game for fire safety; and 60 in the drill-based group took part in an hour-long fire drill organized by the hospital. The participants' pre- (T0) and post-intervention (T1) questionnaire scores on fire safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavior were recorded. The statistical methods included descriptive statistics and t-tests. After the interventions, both groups had improved safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. However, from T0 to T1, only fire safety knowledge was significantly higher in the game-based group than in the drill-based group, and there were no significant differences in fire safety attitudes and behavior between the two groups. A board game-based fire education program is similar to a tabletop exercise, and drill-based programs more accurately reflect actual circumstances. Both methods can be applied based on the educational objectives and actual educational settings. The results of this study may function as a reference for designing clinical, educational, and academic interventions for fire safety in healthcare settings. •We developed a novel board game to educate nursing staff about fire safety.•After the interventions, significant improvements in fire safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavior were noted in both the game-based and drill-based groups.•A board game-based fire education program is similar to a tabletop exercise, and drill-based programs more accurately reflect actual circumstances, which can be applied based on the educational objectives and actual educational settings.