ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education is essential to ensure that health care graduates are prepared for collaborative practice. One way to prepare students for interprofessional practice is to expose them to interprofessional activities throughout their educational program. METHOD: In this article, we present the design and curricular implementation of an interprofessional health care escape room-a type of serious game in which teams of interprofessional participants were provided with a fictitious case. The participants were given 1 hour to work together to solve puzzles and create a postdischarge care plan for the patient. RESULTS: Seven hundred eighty-six students, across four professions, have participated in this experience as part of an academic course. The results were positive: 89.5% of participants found that the activity improved communication and teamwork, and 94.1% felt that team members were listened to. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates the value of an interactive interprofessional activity for advanced learners. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(1):46-50.].
Subject(s)
Games, Experimental , Interdisciplinary Communication , Interprofessional Relations , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Simulation Training , Students, Health Occupations , Competency-Based Education , Curriculum , Humans , MinnesotaABSTRACT
Communication skills among healthcare professionals are a necessary component in ensuring quality outcomes for patients. This report describes the design and curricular implementation of an interprofessional escape room, an innovative way to promote communication and positive team dynamics among students. In this interactive, serious game, teams of approximately eight interprofessional participants were provided with a fictitious patient case in a simulated hospital environment. Within a 45-minute time limit, students needed to use objects in the room to solve a series of puzzles to successfully complete the room by addressing all the patient's needs. A facilitated debrief following the activity allowed participants to reflect on their communication skills and teamwork during the experience. A total of thirty students across seven professions piloted the activity, and 181 students across five professions participated in the activity as part of an academic course. Feedback from students was collected on a seven-point Likert scale and revealed the value of an interprofessional escape room in academia. This report, which describes what appears to be the first interprofessional health care escape room within an IPE curriculum, demonstrates the value of the escape room in encouraging teamwork, facilitating communication, and promoting interprofessionalism.
