Effectiveness of educational escape Room on satisfaction and self-confidence in learning cardiac arrhythmias

Abstract

Introduction: The use of active methodologies like the Escape Room has gained prominence in health education by promoting engagement and motivation. The need for professional competency acquisition, complementing other teaching methods for complex content such as cardiac arrhythmias, justifies the adoption of this strategy. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of educational escape rooms on satisfaction and self-confidence in learning about cardiac arrhythmias among nursing students. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study conducted with 64 nursing students from a private institution in the Federal District, between February and September 2023. Data collection was performed through a questionnaire adapted from the "Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning" scale. Results: The majority of participants (78.1%) self-assessed positively regarding their ability to face academic challenges. However, more than half (75%) were on academic probation, and nearly half (42.2%) had failed courses. The Escape Room was considered beneficial for learning (79.7%), with high satisfaction and self-confidence scores [5.00 and 4.00]. Analyzing satisfaction and self-confidence in relation to students' self-assessment of knowledge, it was observed that, although not statistically significant (p>0.05), the group that rated themselves as average had a lower median satisfaction and self-confidence (4.80 and 3.94) compared to the satisfaction and self-confidence (5.00 and 4.13) of the group that rated themselves as Good/Excellent. Conclusion: The Escape Room was a positive educational experience that appears effective in fostering self-confidence and satisfaction in recognizing arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation. The activity not only encouraged the practical application of learned concepts but also strengthened collaborative skills, essential for clinical nursing practice.