Engaging Students with Patient Safety in an Online Escape Room.

Vestal, M Elisabeth; Matthias, April D; Thompson, C Elise

BACKGROUND Creating innovative online instruction was essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article highlights an engaging, online escape room (OER) educational innovation used to teach patient safety to first-semester nursing students. METHOD Utilizing constructivist and adult learning theories, the OER, developed using Google Forms, consisted of gamification. Students completed puzzles related to a patient safety scenario presented via text, photograph, audio, and video to promote critical thinking and decision making. RESULTS Review of student reflections, test scores, and survey results determined the OER was effective to develop the student's understanding of the nurse's role in patient safety to include identification of safety concerns and appropriate interventions. CONCLUSION Using Google forms, educators can create an OER for various topics to enhance student engagement and critical thinking skills. The OER can be supplemental instruction or an alternative for clinical and simulation instruction when online learning is mandated. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(8):466-469.].