Date of Award
Summer 7-31-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing (ND)
Department
Educational Leadership
First Advisor
Dr. Tera Kirkman, EdD, MSN, RN
Second Advisor
Dr. Melissa DeFoor, Ph.D., RN, CLD, LCCE, FACCE
Abstract
Background: Less than 10% of new graduate registered nurses meet practice-ready expectations for clinical judgment competencies, and 52% of critical care nurses are unable to adequately define sepsis. Traditional clinical rotations offer inconsistent exposure to high-acuity, low-frequency events such as sepsis, leaving new graduates unprepared for independent practice. Escape room simulations use the proven effectiveness of high-fidelity simulations with gamification to develop clinical judgment through active learning, teamwork and problem-solving.
Objective: The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of a sepsis escape room simulation to improve perceived clinical judgment skills of undergraduate nursing students. The intervention was designed to incorporate high-fidelity simulation, puzzles, and structured debriefing to foster active construction of knowledge and clinical reasoning.
Method: A quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design based on the constructivist learning theory was employed. Undergraduate sophomore-level nursing students at a metropolitan community college in Alabama completed the Skalsky Clinical Judgment Scale before and after engaging in a sepsis escape room simulation. Data analysis involved paired t-tests to evaluate changes in perceived clinical judgment based on the Skalsky Clinical Judgment Scale.
Results: The project demonstrates statistically significant improvements in perceived clinical judgment competencies of the students who participated.
Conclusion: This innovative educational intervention filled important gaps in nursing education by offering consistent, high-quality exposure to a sepsis scenario and ultimately contributed to improved patient safety outcomes and better-prepared entry-level nurses.
Recommended Citation
Peterson, Alaina, "The Use of a Sepsis Escape Room Simulation to Enhance Undergraduate Nursing Student's Clinical Judgment" (2026). Dissertations. 12.
https://roar.una.edu/dissertations/12
