to ,, At Bay Bluffs–Emmet County Medical Care Facility, mandatory staff training just got a lot more thrilling — and a whole lot more memorable.
Gone are the days of lecture-based refreshers and routine demonstrations. Thanks to the creativity of Director of Nursing Sonja Bosley, RN, NHA, and Infection Preventionist Anne Courliss-Lane, RN, IPC, the latest round of annual training transformed into an interactive, themed experience: the Zombie Escape Room. Part team-building exercise, part survival challenge, this innovative approach reimagines the way critical healthcare topics are reviewed, from hand hygiene and PPE to bloodborne exposure and code green response.
“Our goal was to make mandatory training something our team members looked forward to, rather than just checked off,” explains Bosley. “We wanted it to be meaningful, evidence-based — and fun.”
The escape-room-style training was complete with custom t-shirts, themed signage, and even “infection zones.” Each session represented a key training area, and staff had to work through puzzles, simulations or tasks to safely escape the outbreak and prevent spread of the Zombie Virus— learning and reinforcing best practices along the way. In total, 12 topics were included in the training exercise, including:
- OSHA N95 fit testing
- Hand hygiene
- PPE use
- Infection control hazard identification
- Fall risk identification and responding to falls
- Clinical skills for nurses and CNAs focusing on resident care tasks
- OSHA bloodborne pathogen training including appropriate spill clean-up and knowledge of disinfection products
- Code green
- Proper food storage and handling
- IDDSI diet guidelines
The escape room format allowed for small group learning. Each group moved through the themed stations together, relying on one another’s knowledge and collaboration — “a great reflection of how care is delivered at Bay Bluffs every single day,” shares Bay Bluffs Administrator Lisa Ashley.
More Than Just Fun and Games
This training meets required annual competencies for staff and aligns with continuing education (CE) requirements for many team members. Participation is mandatory and the entire 140+ Bay Bluffs staff participated, ensuring everyone — from nursing to dietary to housekeeping — is prepared to respond with knowledge and confidence.
IDDSI diet guidelines, for example, have been updated to reflect the latest evidence-based practices, offering timely application. Others, like hand hygiene and PPE donning/doffing, remain consistent but are presented with fresh perspective through the interactive challenges.
“We’ve seen higher engagement, better retention of material, and a lot more laughter,” says Bosley. “That’s definitely a win Bay Bluffs.”
By thinking outside the box — or in this case, inside a locked-down escape room — Bay Bluffs is setting a new standard for nursing home training. Because when it comes to infection control, emergency response and staff safety, learning shouldn’t be scary — but it can be a little spooky.
Interested in joining the award-winning Bay Bluffs teams, CLICK for current to find available RN, LPN, CNA and other staff positions. For more information about employment opportunities, contact Jessica Berg, Human Resources Director, at 231-526-4406 or jb***@*******fs.org for more information.