APPs race to complete safe-sleep activities to unlock the Safe Sleep Escape Box during a simulation training earlier this summer.
Akron Children’s doesn’t take safe sleep lightly. In an effort to ensure all babies slumber safely, Akron Children’s incorporates safe sleep training to help employees educate parents on safe sleep practices and ensure all guidelines are modeled hospital wide.
Unfortunately in Ohio, 3 babies die each week in unsafe sleep environments, but most sleep-related deaths are preventable by following the ABCs of safe sleep: Babies are safest Alone, on their Backs in an empty Crib.
During a recent simulation training for all new APPs joining Akron Children’s earlier this summer, Jackie Pressman, APRN-CNP, decided to shake things up. Akron Children’s advanced practice provider simulation coordinator brought the Safe Sleep Escape Box idea for a more fun, interactive approach. It’s modeled after the “Escape Room” concept, where participants must solve various puzzles and games to unlock the box.
“It’s a new and fun way to help APPs learn and practice the why’s for safe sleep,” said Jackie, who got the idea during this year’s International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare and adapted the concept to safe sleep. “All activities are knowledge-based and surround safe sleep practices to offer staff ideas on ways to educate families and co-workers. It also allows them to practice role playing when talking to families about safe sleep.”
Akron Children’s APP simulation coordinator Jackie Pressman, APRN-CNP (right), brought the Safe Sleep Escape Box (left) to a recent simulation training for all new APPs joining Akron Children’s.
The box was secured by 6 locks, and participants had to race against time to complete activities to unlock each one to finally open it up. Activities included dressing baby safely for bed by choosing from a variety of appropriate and inappropriate clothing and accessories. Others included a safe-sleep word scramble, answering FAQs, role playing with patient families and a matching game to align items that either increased or decreased the risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Once participants opened the Escape Box, they had to complete one final challenge to win. They were asked to write down at least 6 items that were unsafe based off a picture of a crib. For every correct item, Jackie took 10 seconds off their time. The winner with the best time received sleep-related prizes, such as bath bombs, sleep masks, lavender-scented candles and more.
“Everyone had fun doing it. A lot of the APPs enjoyed the candy cigarettes and gummy ‘edibles’ used as risk factors for SIDS,” laughed Jackie, who also serves here as an APP in hospital medicine. “It’s a lot more fun than listening to a dull lecture, and I hope it helped participants grasp this important concept better.”
The Safe Sleep Escape Box was so well received, Akron Children’s hopes to also use the concept for medical students’ and residents’ education. The hospital’s Safe Sleep Committee also plans to take it into the community.
“It can be something that can be used by all multidisciplinary teams,” said Jackie, who presented the idea at this year’s Pediatric Hospital Medicine national conference. “We hope to adapt the concept to other topics and make learning more fun and interactive here.”
Learn more about safe sleep, and find out how Akron Children’s partners with community organizations to help all babies slumber safely.
