Escape Room Simulation for Neonatal Seizure Management: Nursing Students' Experiences of Gamified Educational...

Neonatal seizures are high-risk clinical events that require rapid recognition but present subtle symptoms. Although simulation-based education supports clinical competence, the use of escape-room-based approaches in neonatal nursing education remains underexplored. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of nursing students regarding escape room-based simulation for managing neonatal seizure scenarios. This descriptive qualitative study involved 8 undergraduate nursing students engaged in a 5-stage escape-room simulation using a high-fidelity neonatal simulator (Super Tory S2220, Gaumard Scientific), which included seizure assessment, cause identification, intervention selection, information interpretation, and communication. Data were collected through semistructured focus group interviews and researcher observations. Qualitative data were analyzed using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach to identify essential themes. Five themes and 12 subthemes were organized across 5 experiential dimensions- environmental, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and value. These included authentic immersion within a high-stakes environment (environmental), practical expansion of theoretical knowledge (cognitive), strengthening clinical competence and enhancing self-efficacy (behavioral), collaborative team dynamics and multifaceted communication competence (relational), and professional self-reflection and formation of responsibility (value). As a promising gamified educational modality, escape-room-based simulations provide valuable insights into how students experience the enhancement of technical proficiency, clinical judgment, and teamwork, offering a valuable framework that prepares nursing students for complex, real-world neonatal emergency challenges.