Adapting to Nursing Education Needs by Gamifying Education with a Virtual Escape Room

Background Students engaged in active learning can make connections that will allow them to feel more confident in the material. Generation Z students expect education via technology. After receiving student feedback that the lectures for the New Nurse Residency Program could be “boring” and that it was “hard to pay attention”, Infection Preventionists (IPs) developed a virtual escape room (VER) with the goals of meeting required objectives, improving education effectiveness by making it more enjoyable, and increasing confidence and independence. Methods IPs met with an experienced teacher to receive assistance in using the software that is similar to an interactive slide show presentation. We assessed common education gaps and frequently asked questions and compared to required topics. The user acts as the charge nurse on their unit, and must solve various IP-related puzzles to reach the end of their shift. Results The VER was first implemented in the May 2022 session. Based on evaluation surveys between October 2021 and August 2022, we found a 26% decrease in the number of residents that felt they needed more hands-on experience. We also found a 30% increase in the number of residents that felt they could perform job tasks at a fully competent or expert level. Feedback also consistently showed that the sessions were fun, engaging, provided new information, and were a great way to keep the nurse residents involved. Conclusions IP lends itself to an escape room by nature, as investigation is an essential part of our work. New nurse residents were extremely receptive to the new format and enjoyed it. This project provides an example of how technology can keep learners engaged, and a digital escape room or other interactive content can be used as a “wow!” strategy to grab the attention of students and provide effective education that develops the learner’s confidence and independence. Students engaged in active learning can make connections that will allow them to feel more confident in the material. Generation Z students expect education via technology. After receiving student feedback that the lectures for the New Nurse Residency Program could be “boring” and that it was “hard to pay attention”, Infection Preventionists (IPs) developed a virtual escape room (VER) with the goals of meeting required objectives, improving education effectiveness by making it more enjoyable, and increasing confidence and independence. IPs met with an experienced teacher to receive assistance in using the software that is similar to an interactive slide show presentation. We assessed common education gaps and frequently asked questions and compared to required topics. The user acts as the charge nurse on their unit, and must solve various IP-related puzzles to reach the end of their shift. The VER was first implemented in the May 2022 session. Based on evaluation surveys between October 2021 and August 2022, we found a 26% decrease in the number of residents that felt they needed more hands-on experience. We also found a 30% increase in the number of residents that felt they could perform job tasks at a fully competent or expert level. Feedback also consistently showed that the sessions were fun, engaging, provided new information, and were a great way to keep the nurse residents involved. IP lends itself to an escape room by nature, as investigation is an essential part of our work. New nurse residents were extremely receptive to the new format and enjoyed it. This project provides an example of how technology can keep learners engaged, and a digital escape room or other interactive content can be used as a “wow!” strategy to grab the attention of students and provide effective education that develops the learner’s confidence and independence.