The effect of a hybrid educational escape room on undergraduate nursing students’ nursing process knowledge

OBJECTIVES: This study examined differences in declarative knowledge acquisition between a hybrid educational escape room and traditional lecture-based learning (LBL), and explored students' experiences with the gamified intervention. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was conducted with 152 second-year nursing students. The experimental group completed a hybrid escape room combining on-site and digital tasks, while the control group received LBL. Declarative knowledge was assessed in both groups, and game-related experiences were measured in the experimental group. RESULTS: Students in the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in learning outcomes compared to those in the control group. Participants also reported positive experiences, including enjoyment, activation, creative thinking, autonomy and absorption. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid educational escape rooms can enhance learning outcomes while fostering positive learning experiences. Implications for international audience: Hybrid escape rooms may be effective across diverse educational systems, suggesting that knowledge gains can occur independently of changes in motivation or subjective enjoyment.