Escaping the Silos: Utilization of a Pediatric Trauma Escape Room to Promote Interprofessional Education and Collaboration

BACKGROUND: Millions of children are treated annually for trauma-related injuries but comprise a smaller proportion of emergency department visits than adults. As a result, emergency department teams may not have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to care for pediatric patients, and specialty teams may not interact enough as an interprofessional team to provide high-quality patient care. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project is to describe a novel interprofessional simulation-based education initiative to assist pediatric trauma team readiness. METHODS: An escape room was designed to provide an interactive educational environment focused on pediatric trauma education. Using an interprofessional dyad of a trauma nursing specialist and a pediatric nursing expert, the escape room was designed as a series of clues to improve pediatric skills and interprofessional collaboration between specialty teams. The escape room training was conducted (from February to March, 2023) in a large Southeastern U.S. Level II adult trauma center. RESULTS: Twenty-one registered nurses from different specialty teams participated in the simulation exercises with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Colleagues reported this was a unique way to deliver education that resulted in innovative team building and enriched collegiality between the specialty teams. CONCLUSIONS: The escape room educational format was positively received, and future events are planned across disciplines and various topics. Trauma centers with lower pediatric volumes seeking to provide engaging team-based education may use this format as a unique and innovative way to develop teams for clinical success.