Escape the Generational Gap: A Cardiovascular Escape Room for Nursing Education

Abstract

Background: Generation Z college students often prefer individualized, immersive learning experiences. Faculty designed an educational escape room to engage nursing students and improve knowledge in cardiovascular critical care. Method: This study evaluated the educational innovation's impact on changes in knowledge and perceptions of the educational innovation with a pre- and postknowledge assessment and a validated perception survey. Students discussed their experiences and reflections in a focus group. Results: Pre- and postknowledge assessment scores showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge ( p < .05). Student perceptions were statistically significantly higher than the mean value for the evaluation scale ( p < .001). Analysis of focus group transcriptions revealed four themes: Logistics of the Learning Activity, Cognitive Learning, Team Learning, and Professional Practice Skills. Conclusion: The cardiovascular escape room increased student knowledge and was positively received by students. The educational innovation encouraged student engagement in learning, content application, peer communication, and nursing practice skills. [ J Nurs Educ . 2020;59(2):111–115.]

Shocking Escape: A Cardiac Escape Room for Undergraduate Nursing Students

“…The Cardiogenic Shock sequential educational escape room includes nine unique tasks to facilitate formative assessments of learning and grow knowledge. Unlike other teaching strategies, this approach allows students to work toward a common goal while collaborating, critiquing one another, and seeking help (Morrell & Eukel, 2020). Each task is described for educators to adapt the escape room design and puzzles to their own academic or clinical setting.…”

“…Student perceptions were statistically significantly higher than the mean value for the evaluation scale ( p < 0.001). Qualitative and quantitative findings have been previously published (Morrell et al, 2020; Morrell & Eukel, 2020).…”

“…Cardiovascular content is some of the most challenging for undergraduate nursing students to master. Educational escape rooms have been shown to increase student content knowledge, immerse students in learning, and facilitate soft skill growth (Adams et al, 2018; Borrego et al, 2017; Caldas et al, 2019; Eukel et al, 2020; Kavanaugh et al, 2020; Morrell & Ball, 2020; Morrell & Eukel, 2020; Morrell et al, 2020; Wu et al, 2018; Zhang et al, 2018). One faculty member, BM, designed a cardiac-themed nursing escape room to engage students in learning, help students identify areas of weakness, and build collaborative interaction with classmates.…”

Design‐based research: Studying the effects of an escape room on students' knowledge and perceptions

“…Educational escape rooms have been used to develop student communication skills, foster student engagement, promote active application of teamwork, and build critical thinking 9‐11 . Escape rooms in the education of health professions have demonstrated value in team learning, professional practice skills, cognitive learning gains, knowledge gains, and positive student perceptions 23,24 …”

Ensuring Educational Escape-Room Success: The Process of Designing, Piloting, Evaluating, Redesigning, and Re-Evaluating Educational Escape Rooms

“…The implementation of educational escape rooms in higher education has shown great value in learner outcomes, perceptions, and engagement (Adams et al, 2018; Borrego et al, 2017; Eukel et al, 2020; Eukel et al, 2017; Morrell & Ball, 2020; Morrell & Eukel, 2020). Educational escape rooms can contribute to student engagement, cooperation, and content mastery and enhance an in-person classroom format (Monaghan & Nicholson, 2017; Nicholson, S., 2015; Veldkamp et al, n.d.).…”