Undergraduate nursing students' holistic perspectives on escape room teaching in nursing education: a qualitative meta-synthesis.
5 affiliations
- 1School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- 2Department of Nursing, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 32, West Section 2, 1st Ring Road, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 610072, China.
- 3College of Nursing, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China.
- 4College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
- 5Department of Nursing, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, No. 32, West Section 2, 1st Ring Road, Qingyang District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, 610072, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Nursing education aims to cultivate highly competent nursing professionals, yet traditional teaching methods are insufficient to meet evolving clinical demands. While escape room teaching can help improve nursing students' comprehensive abilities, research systematically examining students' holistic perspectives on this educational approach remains scarce. This study aims to explore the experiences, perceived competency transformation, and optimization strategies of undergraduate nursing students in escape room teaching, thereby supporting the optimization and advancement of this instructional model.Methods
A qualitative meta-synthesis was performed following PRISMA and ENTREQ guidelines. 11 databases were searched from inception to March 25, 2026, using keywords including "undergraduate nursing student", "nursing education", and "escape room". From 3,236 initial records, 18 eligible studies were included after screening, and data were analyzed using thematic synthesis.Results
Three core themes were identified: (1) contradictory experiences, combining immersive engagement and operational difficulties, exploratory motivation and performance anxiety, teamwork belonging and responsibility diffusion; (2) multidimensional competency transformation, including contextualized cognitive integration, task-driven skill internalization, and experiential development of professional literacy; (3) targeted optimization strategies, emphasizing authentic clinical scenarios, clear procedural guidance, personalized team allocation, and systematic assessment and feedback.Conclusion
Escape room teaching represents an innovative, experience-rich approach in nursing education that cultivates students' positive experiences and their perceived growth in cognition, practical skills and professional competence. At the same time, it also brings about mixed emotions and operational dilemmas. Enhancing scenario authenticity, procedural clarity, personalized support and systematic evaluation can better meet students' subjective learning needs and further promote the innovation of nursing education.Review registration
This study was registered on the PROSPERO platform on November 11, 2025 (Registration number: CRD420251186004).Clinical trial number
Not applicable.
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BibTeX
@article{xiao2026undergraduate,
title = {{Undergraduate nursing students' holistic perspectives on escape room teaching in nursing education: a qualitative meta-synthesis.}},
author = {Ying Xiao and Hongxiu Wang and Huilu Yao and Xiaorong Mao},
journal = {BMC nursing},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12912-026-05063-3},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902298},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Undergraduate nursing students' holistic perspectives on escape room teaching in nursing education: a qualitative meta-synthesis.
AU - Ying Xiao
AU - Hongxiu Wang
AU - Huilu Yao
AU - Xiaorong Mao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC nursing
DO - 10.1186/s12912-026-05063-3
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902298
AB - Background Nursing education aims to cultivate highly competent nursing professionals, yet traditional teaching methods are insufficient to meet evolving clinical demands. While escape room teaching can help improve nursing students' comprehensive abilities, research systematically examining students' holistic perspectives on this educational approach remains scarce. This study aims to explore the experiences, perceived competency transformation, and optimization strategies of undergraduate nursing students in escape room teaching, thereby supporting the optimization and advancement of this instructional model.Methods A qualitative meta-synthesis was performed following PRISMA and ENTREQ guidelines. 11 databases were searched from inception to March 25, 2026, using keywords including "undergraduate nursing student", "nursing education", and "escape room". From 3,236 initial records, 18 eligible studies were included after screening, and data were analyzed using thematic synthesis.Results Three core themes were identified: (1) contradictory experiences, combining immersive engagement and operational difficulties, exploratory motivation and performance anxiety, teamwork belonging and responsibility diffusion; (2) multidimensional competency transformation, including contextualized cognitive integration, task-driven skill internalization, and experiential development of professional literacy; (3) targeted optimization strategies, emphasizing authentic clinical scenarios, clear procedural guidance, personalized team allocation, and systematic assessment and feedback.Conclusion Escape room teaching represents an innovative, experience-rich approach in nursing education that cultivates students' positive experiences and their perceived growth in cognition, practical skills and professional competence. At the same time, it also brings about mixed emotions and operational dilemmas. Enhancing scenario authenticity, procedural clarity, personalized support and systematic evaluation can better meet students' subjective learning needs and further promote the innovation of nursing education.Review registration This study was registered on the PROSPERO platform on November 11, 2025 (Registration number: CRD420251186004).Clinical trial number Not applicable.
SN - 1472-6955
ER -