A Community Pediatric Camp Escape Room: An Interactive Approach to Applying Real-Life Critical Thinking Skills

Abstract

Background.

Escape rooms have been utilized to incorporate teamwork, communication, policy, and procedures reinforcement, as well as clinical care. Often themed, escape rooms challenge a team of players to discover clues and sequentially solve puzzles with the ultimate task of accomplishing a specific goal in a limited time frame, fostering critical thinking.

Method.

This learning activity incorporates legal implications for prelicensure nursing students in a pediatric community summer camp/after school care environment. Care and legal implications for a minor experiencing respiratory distress was the premise of this escape room.

Outcomes.

While this was not a research study, surveys were distributed for quality improvement and a deeper needs assessment related to the content and delivery of an escape room. Learners discussed the positive aspects of this activity through journal entries and a survey, noting the need for increased content related to legal implications for the medical team. This room engaged the learner in the forward-thinking that is needed related to emergency care, Good Samaritan Act, liability for cost, and permission to treat in a time-pressured environment.

Future Plans.

Testing the knowledge pre-post survey related to legal implications with implied care will be explored.