Keyser Campus uses escape room to teach students critical thinking, clinical judgment skills

As part of the NURS 312 class, Keyser Campus junior nursing students recently participated in a sepsis escape room to help them to learn how to make clinical judgments according to the patient's condition.

 

During the Jan. 27 activity, students were divided into two groups, both to keep the activity manageable and the room from being overcrowded. The team was given a report on the "patient" who had arrived to the ED.

 

Rachel Raschella used a simulation manikin to show the changing vital signs. As students successfully noted steps in the patient's care, new clues and keys were given to allow them to move through the steps of caring for this patient.

 

Initially, they performed an assessment on the patient and noted they should call the doctor and get orders, provide oxygen and obtain labs. The next key opened the box containing the supplies and orders for a sepsis workup on a patient. They started an IV and fluids and were given lab results. The next key opened to reveal antibiotics to give the patient and they had to follow the order set to determine which one was correct and mix and deliver the antibiotic.

 

Lastly, the patient was stabilized. They transferred the patient and had to give report to the nurse in the new unit and note the times the next lab would be drawn. This gave students the last code to unlock the room. Students were given 20 minutes to initiate care, assess and complete the orders to save the patient.

 

"By working together as a team, both groups were successful in providing care to the patient," said Mary Beth McCloud, a faculty member at the Keyser Campus. "Escape rooms are a fun way to teach critical thinking and clinical judgment and allow students to work together."