# A 7-Module Program Experience for Nurses to Learn Sex Differences in HealthCare through Gamification

> **NIH NIH R25** · LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO · 2024 · $162,000

## Abstract

Women experience a higher burden for morbidity-driven health conditions compared to
their male counterparts. Integrating sex differences in healthcare is crucial as women
possess different anatomy, physiology, psychology, and experiences. To reduce such
barriers to women’s healthcare, it is imperative to provide up-to-date knowledge on sex based
differences. Integrating knowledge related to sex differences in nursing education moves beyond cultural competence and requires a specific set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to implement. Nurses are uniquely suited to provide care and advocate for women throughout the lifespan as they are the most trusted profession and the largest healthcare profession. To address these educational deficits, our aims are to 1) create a 7-module program for nurses to learn sex differences in healthcare through gamification; 2) Establish the validity of the online learning curriculum in addressing women’s healthcare needs and differences; 3) Evaluate the short-term impact of the curriculum on nursing student knowledge, skills, and attitudes of women’s healthcare differences. This multi-phase study will leverage multi-method data to create and evaluate the gamification education program. The gamification education program will be created through focus groups and expert validity, as well as utilize an innovative gamification platform to
improve nursing students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Specifically, we will establish
face and content validity through qualitative methods working closely with our subject matter experts (Phase 1) – followed by a quantitative evaluation of nursing students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes of women’s health differences both pre and post completion of the gamification education program. The gamification education program supports the strategic plan and research lenses of the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health strategic plan - to integrate knowledge of sex influences on health and disease at all levels of training. This gamification education program will provide RNs with comprehensive, specific, expert, and community-based knowledge on how to provide care for women. Additionally, this project is ideally suited for this R25 as it will enhance the knowledge of health professionals on influences to health and disease that are
present for women. We anticipate this open-source continuing education program to become a model for women’s healthcare sex-differences in nursing schools across the country, leading to improved health outcomes for women.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877346
- **Project number:** 1R25LM014555-01
- **Recipient organization:** LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** LINDSEY GARFIELD
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $162,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-20 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877346

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877346, A 7-Module Program Experience for Nurses to Learn Sex Differences in HealthCare through Gamification (1R25LM014555-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877346. Licensed CC0.

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