News and events

An exciting new game-based approach to nurse training about renal function has been launched by The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and healthcare games specialists Focus Games Ltd.

The renal system plays an important role in the body – production and excretion of urine, excretion of waste products and maintaining the composition of body fluids. It is vital that health professionals understand how the renal system works and feel confident about detecting and preventing issues.

Clinical Nurse Educator Gill Hart spotted a need for an engaging and interesting way to help health professionals learn about the renal system, and created her own board game, The Renal Game.

Gill said: “We have all experienced death by Powerpoint during training – but I believe that for learning to be effective it needs to be engaging, fun and interactive.

“To support learning and help information to stick, I created The Renal Game. I’ve been using the game in renal replacement study days and at our trust’s critical care conference since 2016, and I hope that it will now allow individuals across the country to learn in a fun and relaxed environment.

“We are extremely grateful to the Newcastle Hospitals Charities for providing the initial funding to help turn the Renal Game from a simple idea into professional learning tool.”

The game has been developed and refined by Focus Games and is now available for purchase at an initial launch price of £40. The Renal Game helps student and qualified nurses and other health professionals to improve their knowledge of the structure and function of the kidneys, nephron and renal system.

Maurya Cushlow, Executive Chief Nurse at Newcastle Hospitals, said: “As a trust we actively encourage our staff to come forward with innovative ideas on how to improve our service, and the Renal Game is a perfect example of this. It will certainly help our students and staff to engage in training, and hopefully it will become a vital addition to learning in other healthcare organisations throughout the UK.”

The Renal Game is suitable for student, qualified and renal specialist nurses, as well as other health professionals. It can be used in both formal and informal education, from renal study days and university tutorials, to ad hoc workplace learning.

To learn more about the game and buy a copy for your organisation, visit www.renalgame.com, or follow the game on Twitter @RenalGame.