Gamification is being used in the business industry as a way to engage employees into achieving organizational goals, as well as incentivize customers to use their products. More recently, gamification has become a powerful instructional method in K-12 education, as well as top colleges and universities. Health care is still in the early stages of embracing gamification in education; however, some of this may be due to a knowledge deficit related to what gamification is and how it could be applied in the health care setting. This article describes the theory, components, applications, and benefits of gamification for educators who are interested in embarking on a new and innovative way of teaching. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(8):372-375.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a valid, reliable instrument to measure the effectiveness of shared governance councils BACKGROUND The work of shared governance, that is, the decisions, takes place in its structures, notably, the councils. A literature search yielded no formal instrument for evaluating how these councils function. METHODS A 4-phase process was used to generate valid items to measure shared governance council effectiveness, including content validity by experts, a pilot for feasibility, a larger pilot for internal consistency, and an exploratory factor analysis to delineate a final instrument. RESULTS More than a dozen experts and participants from nearly 30 healthcare organizations contributed to the final development of the 25-item Council Health Survey instrument. Items for measuring council effectiveness at either the unit or division level were grouped in areas of structure, activities, and membership. CONCLUSIONS When evaluating shared governance, nurses should focus on councils themselves, in which much of the work of shared governance occurs.

Findings demonstrate gamification as an effective way to teach when compared with more traditional methods. Staff enjoy this type of learning and retained more knowledge when using gaming elements.

The perioperative setting is a complex, high‐risk working environment. Ensuring adequate staffing with highly competent nurses remains a top priority to sustain safe patient care. However, there are barriers to individual professional advancement in hospitals, including costs and lack of support or time, which can lead to decreased nurse satisfaction. After the mandated cancellation of elective surgery in March 2020 resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, leaders at a medical center decided to turn this difficult situation into an opportunity to re‐engage their perioperative personnel in professional development. More than 70 staff members participated in activities related to certification, continuing education, clinical advancement, and cross‐training. Elective surgery has since resumed, and as a result of the pursuit of professional development opportunities, staff member turnover did not increase throughout the transition at the medical center. Interest in professional growth has been reignited and staff members are excited about future development opportunities.