The Effect of Crossword Puzzles on Nursing Students' Learning Concepts Related to Vital Signs: A Randomized Controlled Study

Puzzles, which are among the active learning tools, are frequently preferred today because they make learning fun, are economical, improve problem-solving skills and offer understandable learning. Puzzles increase students' motivation and self-confidence by turning complex concepts into a hobby. In the literature, studies investigating the learning situation with puzzles have examined undergraduate students in different sciences. Even though there are different disciplines, undergraduate students' efforts to search for the right answer, their self-confidence in finding the right answer, and their involvement in the active learning process rather than passive memorization reveal the increase in their knowledge levels. It has been observed that the teaching method with puzzles not only facilitates learning, but also guides students to better recognize their knowledge gaps and weaknesses. Considering nursing education, it is obvious that teaching concepts encountered for the first time with puzzles by providing an active environment in the classroom will increase students' motivation and knowledge level. Despite research conducted with different disciplines in the literature, there are few studies examining the effect of puzzles on the level of learning concepts related to the nursing profession. In this research, the concepts of vital signs, which have an important place in both the student life and professional life of first-year nursing students, will be discussed. An active and fun environment will be provided to students with puzzles on the subjects of respiration, pulse and blood pressure, where students have difficulty in learning the conceptual structure. In this context, it is predicted that the education provided with puzzles will contribute positively to the knowledge level of the students.

A pre-test will be given to all groups before the theoretical lesson on vital signs. Afterwards, the students in the experimental group will apply puzzles for two weeks (12-27/11/2023). Afterwards, final tests will be performed. The work will continue until 10/12/2023.

Control group students will be educated only during the normal course. The research will be conducted with first-year students of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Nursing Department.