Ideas That Work: High-Impact Training

A popular form of entertainment is a great way to boost your staff’s engagement in infection prevention training. “We decided to turn an entire education session into a zombie-themed escape room with an emphasis on hand hygiene, surface disinfection and proper use of PPE,” says Gracia Boseman, RN, MPH, of Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple. Staff were required to find a series of clues that posed questions about the facility’s infection prevention protocols in order to “escape” the room in less than 15 minutes.

“Nurses are hands-on learners, so we tried to engage as many of our staff’s senses as possible with the clues,” says Kristy Causey, MSN, RN. For instance, they used whitening laundry detergent to simulate areas of surface contamination.

In the end, the training led to a 61% increase in handwashing compliance and a 21% bump in proper PPE use. “Plus, our fictional scenario allowed us to brush up on skills such as proper hand hygiene that proved vital during the pandemic,” says Ms. Boseman. OSM