Evaluating Healthcare Simulation Escape Rooms as an Educational Tool in Nursing Continuing Education: A Fellowship Journey
By: Brennah Holley
Fellowship Overview
Brennah Holley, Clinical Nurse Educator at CHEO in Ottawa (and former Co-Chair of the POGO Nursing Committee), recently completed an Advanced Clinical Practice Fellowship (ACPF) through the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and is now conducting an exciting research project (directly related to her fellowship) to explore the potential of Healthcare Simulation Escape Rooms (HSER) as an innovative educational tool in nursing. With the nursing profession facing pressing challenges such as staffing shortages and varied learning needs, her research aims to assess whether HSERs can enhance knowledge acquisition among nursing staff.
“HSERs merge gamification with traditional learning, creating engaging team-based experiences,” Brennah explains. As defined by Anderson et al. (2020), HSERs infuse healthcare themes into interactive escape room settings, offering a fresh platform for education and assessment.
Research Objective and Methodology
At the heart of Brennah’s research is the objective to evaluate HSERs' effectiveness in nursing education. The study, which began in early 2024, will investigate whether engaging in an HSER focused on anaphylaxis leads to better knowledge retention and application compared to traditional lecture formats.
In a randomized controlled trial, nurses at CHEO will be divided into two groups: Group A will receive a lecture, while Group B will experience both the lecture and the HSER. “This approach allows us to gather vital data on the impact of immersive learning,” she notes.
Learning Experience and Skill Development
Brennah’s journey through the fellowship has been rich with learning. She acquired essential skills in research design, ethics submissions, and statistical analysis. Working alongside the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) at CHEO, she navigated the complexities of ethics applications, completing necessary training and developing vital documentation like consent forms.
Addressing knowledge gaps in statistical analysis was a significant focus for Brennah. By collaborating with a co-investigator from CHEO’s CRU, she enhanced her research capacity. “This partnership has been instrumental in refining my project,” she emphasizes.
Brennah also developed her skills in survey design and literature reviews, both critical for creating effective educational tools.
Outcomes and Future Directions
Data collection for her research will extend until early 2025, with plans to draft a manuscript by fall 2025. The implications of Brennah’s research could be profound, providing evidence to support the integration of HSERs into nursing curricula and continuing education programs. “Ultimately, we want to enhance patient care through improved educational strategies,” she states.
Reflections
Reflecting on her ACPF experience, Brennah describes it as transformative, filled with opportunities for professional growth. Presenting at international conferences and collaborating with nurse educators worldwide have enriched her journey. As she begins her master’s in Nursing, she is eager to further explore innovative educational methodologies, with HSERs leading her efforts to improve nursing practice.
In summary, Brennah Holley’s fellowship at CHEO highlights the promise of innovative educational approaches in nursing, paving the way for advancements in continuing education and enhanced patient care.
“We are on the brink of a new era in nursing education,” she concludes, optimistic about the future.
To learn more about Brennah’s fellowship experience or research endeavours, feel free to reach out to her.
Reflective Practice IS Nursing Practice
By: Arvinder Aulakh, Jessica Brooks
“Let us never consider ourselves finished nurses…we must be learning all of our lives.”
Clearly, Florence Nightingale had early insights into the importance of continual professional growth and development. Reflective practice is foundational within pediatric hematology/oncology nursing, enhancing team collaboration, improving care standards, and supporting nurses’ emotional well-being. This offers multifaceted benefits for nurses, their young patients, and the families they care for.
Pediatric hematology/oncology nursing is a profession that embraces collaboration through reflecting on shared experiences and challenges. Reflective practice allows nurses to contribute to the collective knowledge base by critically evaluating their current practices to drive evidence-based practices. Engaging with nurses with different experiences allows for dialogue that contributes to holistic patient care, team learning, and improved communication.
Patient care outcomes are improved through reflective practice. Personal values and beliefs can indirectly and unknowingly affect patient care. Reflective practice provides insights into nurses’ strengths and challenges contributing to better clinical acumen, empathetic communication, and emotional resiliency. Through this, professional growth and development are achieved, allowing for higher standards of patient care.
It is well understood through literature and lived experience that caring for seriously ill children can lead to burnout and compassion fatigue. Reflective practice empowers nurses by enhancing their self-awareness through professional reflection, facilitating peer support through group discussion, and promoting empathy and compassion by providing a safe and non-judgmental environment. Supporting nurses’ well-being through group self-reflection promotes enhanced job satisfaction.
There are many guidelines and frameworks that can be used when doing a reflective practice. When engaging in reflection, nurses should consider these key aspects:
- Description of experience: Recall the important events and features by giving a clear, non-judgmental and comprehensive account of the experience. Experiences may include describing a challenging patient interaction, a successful teamwork experience, or any other significant event.
- Evaluation: Take a “look back” and think about the importance of that experience. What went well? What were the challenges? How did these moments impact patient care, team dynamics, or your personal feelings about work?
- Analysis: An opportunity to critically think about the experience using theory and research. This could include analyzing communication strategies, ethical dilemmas, or case studies that highlight successes and challenges.
- Future action: The experience is summarized to help gain personal insights and determine any next steps. What will you continue to do? What will you change? Setting specific and measurable goals can guide your growth.
Consider incorporating reflective practice into staff meetings, evaluations, and group discussions. Through this, professional development is enhanced because reflective practice IS nursing practice!
About the Authors
Arvinder Aulakh and Jessica Brooks are POGO Interlink Nurses working at SickKids. Learn more about the POGO Interlink Nursing Program.
Nurse Practitioner is POGO’s Provincial Lead in Pediatric Oncology Nursing
Denise Mills is a Master of Nursing, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, who began her nursing career over 20 years ago. She is one of those rare people with a true passion for what she does. In fact, when asked about her work, she says, “it’s a privilege to care for a child with cancer.” More than likely, it is this enthusiasm and her significant training, experience and expertise that, in 2018, led to Denise being chosen as POGO’s provincial clinical lead in pediatric oncology nursing.
Denise’s strong interest in multidisciplinary pediatric oncology education ensures the nursing perspective informs all aspects of POGO’s work in system planning, service delivery, quality improvement, education and research.
“I am proud of the work I have been able to participate in at POGO that contributes to our mission,” Denise says. “This includes partnering with Camp Oochigeas to host a retreat for pediatric oncology healthcare professionals across the province to share and learn about resilience; and bringing the nursing voice to POGO’s organizational strategy, programs and work on clinical practice guidelines as a member of POGO’s supportive care committee. I am also humbled to work closely with the POGO Interlink Nurses across Ontario who care for and support patients, and their families, throughout their cancer journey.”
Since her first introduction to POGO in the mid-1990s, Denise has been an avid member of several POGO committees and contributor to many POGO initiatives. She has been actively involved in the planning committees of several POGO multidisciplinary symposia on childhood cancer, including the 2018 Pre-Symposium Nursing Seminar, and has been a member of the POGO Board of Directors. Denise now co-chairs the POGO Nursing Committee with Brennah Holley, a nurse educator at CHEO. In 2020, the Nursing Committee presented two webinars: Supporting Children through COVID-19 and Good Grief! Fostering Healthy Grief in Ourselves and Those We Support.
Denise’s research interest is in patient/family education and she is a recipient of a POGO Seed Grant that funded her published study (2021) Improving Quality and Consistency in Family Education Prior to First Discharge Following a Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis. Denise has contributed to quality improvement and innovation projects, she sits on many prestigious committees, including the Children’s Oncology Group’s (COG) Nursing Steering Committee as the chair of the education sub-committee, and is a protocol nurse for the COG Neuroblastoma and Renal Committee. She has addressed delegates at numerous conferences, contributed countless poster presentations globally and is a member of several professional associations.
Denise Mills is seconded to POGO (two days a week) from McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre where she works as a Nurse Practitioner in the division of Hematology and Oncology.
POGO Celebrates Pediatric Oncology Nursing Excellence with Bruna DiMonte
"Excellence in oncology nursing is about demonstrating a high level of compassion, empathy and pediatric oncology specialty expertise in caring for kids with cancer and their families. Nurses incorporate evidence-based literature and research in our clinical practice, and we are excellent resources to allied health teams and the field of pediatric oncology. We advocate for resources to meet the challenging needs of kids with cancer, families, pediatric oncology nursing and the childhood cancer care system."
Data Drives Practice
These days, my work at SickKids overlaps with my data management role at POGO. In both organizations, I lead teams responsible for capturing data in our POGONIS database. This data—clinical information that includes specifics about children’s diagnosis, treatment, complications and long-term outcomes—is used by POGO and our system partners for cancer surveillance, research, decision-making, system and program planning and evaluation, and policy advice.
Her Passion for Her Patients and Work as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse
My early career was devoted to working on the frontlines and in doing so, I always strived to provide compassionate care to kids with cancer. While it’s hard to choose, I would say that one of the most rewarding things was finding time in my day to play with a child and distract them from the complex cancer treatment I still had to provide. Every day brought a new set of challenges and however a child’s story played out, my only hope was that I had made a positive difference in their life and their family’s.
POGO Values Pediatric Oncology Nurses
I have had the pleasure of helping POGO support pediatric oncology nurses in making valuable contributions to the pediatric oncology community. I am the staff representative on the POGO Nursing Committee and have worked with Committee members on such special projects as POGO guidance documents about telephone practices (telepractice) and the safe handling of antineoplastic agents. The Committee has also had the opportunity to contribute to publications, abstracts, presentations at conferences of health organizations like the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON), The International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), and POGO education events like AfterCare Education Day, the Annual Multidisciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer and Nursing Pre-Symposia education events. Through POGO, pediatric oncology nurses also have the opportunity to advocate on a policy level, and in the past actively supported POGO’s recommendation of the nurse coordinator position and acquisition of the Interlink Nursing program. POGO also proactively seeks preceptorships with nursing student placements at the POGO office and with the POGO Interlink Nurses at their hospitals.
Other Career Achievements of which Bruna is Most Proud
This is another difficult question as I have had many wonderful opportunities to support novice pediatric oncology nurses, as well as data managers and researchers. I hope I have helped empower others to provide excellent clinical care. And, in collaborating with researchers using POGONIS data for epidemiological research and data analysis, I hope I have adequately supported their policy planning and program development goals for pediatric oncology, and inspired them to collect accurate provincial population data for these needs.
Bruna DiMonte, RN, BScN, has been a pediatric nurse for 36 years and has spent 28 of those working double duty at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto and with POGO as the Senior Database Administrator and Privacy Officer
Canadian Oncology Nursing Day
The annual Canadian Oncology Nursing Day provides an opportunity for nurses across the country to host educational sessions on new an important oncology nursing topics and to celebrate the numerous contributions nurses make to the field of oncology.
On Thursday, April 7th, 2015, POGO and SickKids co-hosted the 2nd Annual Garron Family Cancer Centre Visiting Scholar Program featuring:
Kathleen Ruccione, PhD, MPH, RN, CPON, FAAN
Nurse Researcher
Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
University of Southern California
To watch an archived video of the day's presentations, please click here. Username & password: COND2015. Please click here to view the event program and speakers.
