ABSTRACT
Objective: This study investigated nursing students' views of the effect of a web-based tracheostomy care game on their knowledge levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:This pretest-posttest single-group quasi-experimental study was conducted between April and July 2021. The study population consisted of all nursing students in Turkey. The sample consisted of 125 students who filled out the pretest and posttest forms. Participation was voluntary. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling method. Participants entered the website "trakeostomibakimi.com" They filled out the demographic characteristics questionnaire and the tracheostomy care knowledge test (TCKT) on the website. They downloaded the virtual tracheostomy care game on their computers. They played the game as much as they wanted and then filled out the posttest and the student opinion forms.Results: Participants had a higher mean posttest TCKT score than pretest score (p<.05). They stated that the game helped them enjoy learning tracheostomy care and remember their prior knowledge and made them feel like they practiced in a real-life clinical setting. Conclusion: The web-based tracheostomy care game improved nursing students' knowledge levels. There should also be online educational games tailored to other nursing areas.