Authors

  1. Roche, Cathy C. PhD, RN
  2. Weaver, Kendra DNP, RN, CRNP

Article Content

Simon Says is often used as a children's activity; however, we adapted this game to bolster injection site landmark recollection in prelicensure nursing students. Groups of approximately 20 students played our Simon Says game during a first-semester medication administration skills laboratory. Before class, students completed prereadings on parenteral medication administration. Students were organized in rows, and the instructor called out commands for students to follow. All commands related to intramuscular (ventrogluteal, vastus lateralis, and deltoid) sites and subcutaneous injection landmark anatomy. Students were instructed to quickly and accurately follow the commands that begin with "Simon Says" and to ignore the commands that do not begin with "Simon Says." If students incorrectly complete a command that begins with "Simon Says" or follow a command correctly that does not begin with "Simon Says," they need to sit until the next round. For example, the instructor might state, "Simon Says point to your acromion process" (an intramuscular deltoid injection landmark). If a student pointed to their greater trochanter (an intramuscular ventrogluteal injection landmark) or any other landmark, that student would sit until the next round. The last person standing is the winner. Students reported improved recall of injection site landmarks compared with simply reading about or discussing them. Teaching nursing students anatomical landmarks for administering subcutaneous and intramuscular injections can be fun and interactive. This Simon Says game could be incorporated to reinforce other anatomical landmarks in both classroom and virtual settings.