We Are Game

When Einstein called games “the most elevated form of investigation,” he could not have predicted the influence and reach of games today. The 21st century role of games in community-building and problem-solving is thoughtfully presented in Jane McGonigal’s Reality Is Broken, which inspired the University of Pennsylvania’s Year of Games: Body & Mind. As part of this theme, Penn Nursing launched the Game Solutions for Healthcare initiative, and I am thrilled that this exciting endeavor has hit its stride.

In January, 25 teams of student entrepreneurs went head-to-head making an “elevator pitch” – the chance to tell judges in 90 seconds about their business models -- in PennVention’s Startup Challenge, hosted at Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. The winning project, called “Body Wars,” was initially developed in a community health nursing course taught by Associate Dean of Nursing Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, CRNP. The game’s developers are Penn Nursing Master’s students Antonette Shaw, BSN’11, Mackenzie Mapes, BSN’11, and Kristen van der Veen, BSN’11, who won $500 in the competition. “Body Wars” is a highly interactive game using seminars, trivia, and physical activities to teach teenagers about anatomy and the effects of drugs, alcohol, and sexually transmitted diseases on the body. In April, the project will vie for an award in our School’s Game Solutions for Healthcare competition.

Professor Nancy Hanrahan, PhD, RN, who is leading our Game Solutions for Healthcare initiative, has been tapped by iMedicalApps as its first nurse reviewer. An independent online medical publication, iMedicalApps offers commentary and reviews from physicians and medical students – and now, wisely, a nurse -- on mobile medical technology and applications. iMedicalApps is widely recognized as a leader in the field of mobile health.

On April 19, we will hold an inaugural symposium and networking event to close the first year of Game Solutions for Healthcare. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. here in Fagin Hall, the event will include a major speaker on game innovations, presentations from our games competitors, announcements of competition winners, and the opportunity to network with other game and app innovators.

At Penn Nursing, we continue to develop health-oriented games and apps and we are exploring ways to integrate them in our teaching, research, and clinical care. I welcome your ideas as we continue our exploration.