Are You Ready to Escape? Representing Innovation Through Escape Room Pedagogy in Obstetric Education
Abstract
Facilitating quality clinical experiences for students is a significant challenge in nursing education. Nursing students must develop critical thinking and collaborative skills to ensure safe, effective patient care. To foster these competencies, an innovative escape room pedagogy was introduced as an alternative to traditional simulation experiences. This interactive approach engages students in teamwork, problem-solving, and clinical judgment within a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment. By integrating escape rooms into the curriculum, nursing programs can better prepare students for real-world clinical challenges, improving patient care and addressing health disparities.
This study also aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating escape rooms into undergraduate nursing curricula as a preparation tool for the Next Generation Nursing (NGN) licensure exam. By aligning with the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM), escape rooms simulate real-life scenarios that facilitate competency development and readiness for NGN testing standards.
The escape room was developed through a structured process:
Plan: Identified topics and resources aligned with clinical and NGN competencies.
Build: Designed puzzles, prepared materials, and created a training handbook.
Implement: Conducted orientations and guided students through scenarios.
Evaluate: Gathered feedback through surveys and conducted debriefings.
The study involved 120 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Small groups of 4–5 rotated through three escape rooms simulating obstetric emergencies, with clinical faculty overseeing activities. Data collection included pre- and post-tests assessing knowledge, anxiety, and self-confidence, and feedback via the Clinical Simulation Completion Questionnaire. Although anxiety and self-confidence outcomes were not statistically significant, students reported heightened engagement, improved critical thinking, and a preference for more escape room activities.
Evaluation forms documented faculty observations and recommendations. Students highlighted the safe, supportive environment for practicing skills critical for bedside care. Despite being limited to one institution, the findings suggest escape rooms can enhance clinical competencies. Future research across diverse nursing programs could provide broader insights into their role in NGN readiness and competency-based education.
Notes
References:
1. Boyle-Duke, Bryant, K., Jones, R., Cayo, S., & Boston-Leary, K. (2023). Educational escape rooms. American Nurse Today, 18(5), 32–32. https://doi.org/10.51256/ANJ052332
2. Educational Escape Room. (2021). The American Journal of Nursing, 121(1), 12–12. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000731612.84021.40
3. Hawkins, Wiles, L. L., Tremblay, B., & Thompson, B. A. (2020). Behind the scenes of an educational escape room. The American Journal of Nursing, 120(10), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000718636.68938.bb
4. Hebert. (2023). Implementation of educational escape rooms in a nurse practitioner doctoral curriculum. Journal of Professional Nursing, 45, 8–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.01.001
5. Ward. (2020). Escape to critical thinking, team building, and learning: Developing an educational escape room. Kansas Nurse, 95(1), 14–16.
Sigma Membership
Mu Nu
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Teaching and Learning Strategies, Competence, Curriculum Development, Nursing Education, Emerging Technologies, Clinical Competence, Teamwork, Escape Rooms
Recommended Citation
Nair, Nisha, "Are You Ready to Escape? Representing Innovation Through Escape Room Pedagogy in Obstetric Education" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 218.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/218
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-08
Are You Ready to Escape? Representing Innovation Through Escape Room Pedagogy in Obstetric Education
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Facilitating quality clinical experiences for students is a significant challenge in nursing education. Nursing students must develop critical thinking and collaborative skills to ensure safe, effective patient care. To foster these competencies, an innovative escape room pedagogy was introduced as an alternative to traditional simulation experiences. This interactive approach engages students in teamwork, problem-solving, and clinical judgment within a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment. By integrating escape rooms into the curriculum, nursing programs can better prepare students for real-world clinical challenges, improving patient care and addressing health disparities.
This study also aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating escape rooms into undergraduate nursing curricula as a preparation tool for the Next Generation Nursing (NGN) licensure exam. By aligning with the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM), escape rooms simulate real-life scenarios that facilitate competency development and readiness for NGN testing standards.
The escape room was developed through a structured process:
Plan: Identified topics and resources aligned with clinical and NGN competencies.
Build: Designed puzzles, prepared materials, and created a training handbook.
Implement: Conducted orientations and guided students through scenarios.
Evaluate: Gathered feedback through surveys and conducted debriefings.
The study involved 120 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Small groups of 4–5 rotated through three escape rooms simulating obstetric emergencies, with clinical faculty overseeing activities. Data collection included pre- and post-tests assessing knowledge, anxiety, and self-confidence, and feedback via the Clinical Simulation Completion Questionnaire. Although anxiety and self-confidence outcomes were not statistically significant, students reported heightened engagement, improved critical thinking, and a preference for more escape room activities.
Evaluation forms documented faculty observations and recommendations. Students highlighted the safe, supportive environment for practicing skills critical for bedside care. Despite being limited to one institution, the findings suggest escape rooms can enhance clinical competencies. Future research across diverse nursing programs could provide broader insights into their role in NGN readiness and competency-based education.
Description
Facilitating quality clinical experiences is a challenge in nursing education. This study explored the integration of escape room pedagogy into the curriculum to enhance critical thinking, teamwork, and NGN readiness. Through a structured process of planning, building, implementing, and evaluating, 120 nursing students participated in obstetric emergency simulations. Findings suggest escape rooms effectively support clinical competency, preparing students for real-world challenges.