How to Create a Virtual Nursing Escape Room Using Google Forms
A guide for building a virtual active learning activity in nursing education
I remember preparing for my first theory course as a nursing instructor. I had well-thought-out PowerPoint slides and almost a word-for-word script to cover my first section of content on fluid and electrolytes. I was ready, and I knew that my organized tables and interesting images would help my students achieve incredible scores on their first exam.
Well, it didn't quite work out that way. My students were bored. I was sharing my slides, but they still had that glazed-over look in their eyes. I knew that something had to change.
Getting started with active learning
I started researching active learning strategies in nursing education and slowly began to change over my classroom - away from instructor-led lectures and toward student-focused activities. I have written practical instructions for implementing my favorite activities and keep them in the Idea Bank.
When I decided to build an escape room, I started where any good nurse educator would go: current research. I researched nurse escape room ideas, but most of the content was focused on the K12 learning environment. So I started putting together a library of puzzle ideas around nursing topics, such as prioritization, vocabulary words, delegation, and dosage calculations.
What I created was a blended in-person and virtual nursing escape room. The learning activity took place in our simulation lab. I like to think of it as an interactive case study, and all the case study data is presented through Google Forms. It is easy (and FREE!) to build digital escape rooms using this tool. In the blended escape room I created, there are physical puzzles involving locks and keys, provider order forms, black lights, and puzzle pieces. I have also created a short course on building an in-person escape room.
When to use a virtual escape room
Classroom Introduction
An escape room can be an interactive way to review the syllabus or complete orientation to a skills lab or clinical unit.
Practice Next-Gen NCLEX questions
A virtual escape room format is less intimidating than a quiz format to expose your students to Next-Gen-style NCLEX questions. In addition, because it is not a test but rather an interactive case study, students can practice the questions and become more comfortable answering them.
Nursing Theory
You can modify this interactive format for beginner content to the most complex pathophysiology and patient care scenarios.
Faculty Development or Presentations
Having your peers or audience complete an escape room is an excellent way to improve engagement. It can cover a variety of content, lets the listener “discover” information, and is unexpected.
Interviews
We have had many educators in this community who use an escape room as part of their teaching presentation during the job interview process. Amazing! It is typically different and memorable from the other interviewee’s work, leaving a lasting impression on the selection panel. Embrace thinking outside of the box and aim to impress!
Simple format to start building your own virtual escape room
In this Google Forms Tutorial Video, I share how to create your own virtual nursing escape room specific to your nursing content.
Decide on the learning topics that you want students to master
Choose a storyline
Use a mix of the seven different "locks" outlined in the video
Share with your students and watch your classroom come to life
It can feel overwhelming to start a digital escape room from scratch. So, along with the video, there is a template for the exact Google Form I use in the tutorial so you can start creating right away!
Start Building a Virtual Nursing Escape Room
You can adapt an escape room to various settings, including classroom introductions, complex topics, or a review session. It can be an excellent introduction to active learning if you are getting resistance from students. After watching the short video, you will have a clear framework for developing your virtual escape room using Google Forms. There are alternatives to lecture, and you can create a flipped classroom one lesson at a time :)