Escape the Anxiety: An Interactive Dosage Calculations Escape Room as a Contextualized Math Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Digital Learning Tools

Background:

• Dosage calculation is a critical skill for nursing practice.
• Traditional teaching methods may not fully engage all students.
• Preparing students for high-stakes assessments requires innovative approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an interactive virtual escape room as a novel teaching strategy.
• To enhance undergraduate nursing students' readiness for dosage calculation assessments.
• To integrate technology for active learning in nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• Development of a virtual escape room using Google Forms.
• Implementation of a branching storyline based on student responses.
• Focus on a patient discharge scenario to contextualize dosage calculations.
• Utilizing interactive elements to guide students toward learning objectives.

Main Results:

• The virtual escape room provided an engaging platform for practicing dosage calculations.
• Students navigated a simulated patient discharge, applying calculation skills.
• The branching narrative adapted to student choices, offering a personalized learning path.
• This method facilitated active learning and objective achievement.

Conclusions:

• Virtual escape rooms represent a promising innovative teaching strategy for nursing education.
• This approach can effectively prepare students for dosage calculation assessments.
• Technology integration, like Google Forms, can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.