For Christine Zimmerman, R.N., Ph.D.对她的护理学生来说，每件事都是一个学习的机会，即使是逃离僵尸. 作为UMKC护理与健康研究学院临床模拟主任, 她为学校的模拟实验室设计并实现了病人的场景.

在最新的场景中，齐默尔曼将密室逃生体验与僵尸末日结合起来. 学生们一边解决谜题，一边按照线索竞争，争取在最佳时间拿到他们需要的医疗设备，以便为他们的“病人”输血.” To complete the training and escape the room, the students need to complete each task of the procedure, which prevents their patient from becoming a zombie.

Over the years, 齐默尔曼和她的团队为学生们创造了各种各样的模拟, from helping a woman give birth to treating gunshot wounds. 模拟旨在为学生提供在管理环境中练习临床技能和决策能力的机会，从而减少传统临床环境中的一些压力. In the simulation lab, 学生可以专注于手头的训练，而不必担心维持病人的生命或处理同事之间的人际关系.

The lab, on the fourth floor of the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies, mimics the layout of a hospital, with six patient rooms, a nurses’ station and a medication storage area. 这所学校有9个人体模型——用于医学训练的模型，在模拟过程中扮演病人的角色. 齐默尔曼和她的团队在实验室附近的控制室操作人体模型, speaking as the patient through a microphone during the simulation. 他们认真对待自己的表演，使用不同的声音并融入音效.

According to School of Nursing and Health Studies Dean Joy Roberts, 模拟是护理专业学生在学习过程中的重要经验.

“Typically, 我们的本科护理学生在医院和社区卫生机构的实践经验,” Roberts said. As an added layer to their training, 模拟实验室“确保我们所有的学生都能获得某些健康问题的经验, while ensuring the patient interaction is as close to real life as possible,” she added.

齐默尔曼紧跟护理模拟教育的最新进展. 她说，研究表明，竞争激烈的游戏环境有助于学生通过增加乐趣来学习，同时降低压力. A few years ago, she noticed a growing trend using escape rooms in simulation labs, and decided to try it. Setting it up was a daunting process, she said. 她花了近两年的时间把它做好，并在2023年春季学期推出了它.

齐默尔曼说:“我们了解到，把线索集中起来是最难的部分。. “You have to think about how each clue builds to the next one, and how the students are going to progress through the steps to solve it.”

和所有模拟一样，密室逃生练习的学生被分成四人一组. 然后，各组在最短的时间内完成要求的步骤. Competition means the groups need team names picked by the students. “公共灌肠”和“晕厥”只是众多聪明的队名选择中的两个.

For nursing student Joyce Young, who is in the final year of the program, 与她之前参与的模拟相比，密室逃生需要更多的团队合作. 作为一名前警官，她很乐意将自己的调查能力带到团队中.

“With the escape room, I had to really rely on my other team members, and we worked really well together,” Young said. “Everyone brought their own personality and skill sets, because one person’s strength was another person’s weakness.”

According to Zimmerman, 她专注于输血，因为这个过程在紧急情况下是必要的, but also during routine care for a slow bleed or low hemoglobin. 这些步骤永远不会改变，而且必须按照非常具体的顺序进行管理. 如果一个学生团队在练习中为争取最佳时间而错过了一步, a minute is added to their overall time.

齐默尔曼说，学生们在临床轮转期间很少有输血的经验. “With this simulation, they tell us they feel more confident with the procedure, 并且至少获得了实践经验，这使他们在护理生涯中遇到这个问题时更有准备,” she said.

当齐默尔曼和她的团队开始测试僵尸逃生室模拟时, 他们惊讶地发现，他们需要制定许多规定，规定学生能碰什么，不能碰什么.
“The students went absolutely insane,” Zimmerman said. “They were going through the sharps (needle disposal) container, digging in the trash and climbing up on sinks to lift up ceiling tiles.”

由于学生们在竞争最佳时间，齐默尔曼想要限制干扰. 她还列了一张清单，上面写着密室里的物品和禁区. 尽管这有助于学生们专心完成任务，但偶尔还是会发生意外. For the blood transfusion, 学生需要从静脉输液袋中通过连接到病人身上的管道输送假血. Clamps on the tubing help control the flow of blood.

“One group who was running out of time, started opening all the clamps to speed things up,” Zimmerman said. “Blood was running everywhere in the room; it was absolute chaos.”

After each simulation session, Zimmerman sits down with the students to debrief, evaluating what went right and what could be improved. 对于密室逃生，她利用这段时间专注于每个线索和谜题中的教训. In a recent debrief, 她称赞了这个小组很快就发现了静脉输液袋背面的某些字母.

“I like to talk about their focus on the small details, 因为在医疗保健领域有很多事情需要你去适应,” Zimmerman said. “你的病人可能会说一些看似微不足道的事情，但可能是大局的一部分.”

密室逃生模拟挑战学生们把一个谜题拼在一起，以看到大的画面. When it comes together, it’s one of Zimmerman’s favorite moments.

齐默尔曼说:“我喜欢听他们解决线索并在房间里尖叫的声音. "It absolutely makes me happy if they have a good time and are engaged.”