Evaluation of the Effect of Gaming Based Education Themed Escape Room on Preparedness of Aja Undergraduate Nursing Students in Dealing with Bioterrorism

Effective training of nursing students against bioterrorist attacks is one of the essential issues with a significant impact on their preparedness as the largest and most important group of health care providers.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of gaming-based education-themed escape room on the readiness of Aja nursing students in the face of bioterrorism.

This interventional and quasi-experimental study was performed on 61 Aja undergraduate nursing students in 2020 and 2021. Participants were selected by the convenience sampling method and non-randomly divided into lecture and groups. The training was evaluated after the intervention. The instrument included a researcher-made questionnaire including knowledge measurement, attitude and skill evaluation checklist with validity and reliability. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22 using descriptive and inferential tests. P-value less than 0.05 was significant.

Results show no significant difference between the knowledge, attitude, and skill in the preparedness of the two groups before the intervention (P<0.05). However, after the intervention, these variables in educational escape room game group were significantly higher than that in the lecture group (P<0.05).
Discussion and

Undergraduate nursing students in the gaming-based education-themed escape room group were more prepared than the lecture group. As a result, this new educational method can better prepare nursing students and nurses against bioterrorism.