Tag Teaming Trauma-Informed Care in Nursing Education: Shifting Passive to Active Learning

BACKGROUND: Trauma-informed care (TIC) recognizes the impact of trauma on patients' responses to care. Integrating TIC into nursing curricula is essential, yet limited guidance exists on effective teaching strategies. PURPOSE: To describe the use of tag-teaming simulation (TTS) to teach TIC to first-semester nursing students. METHODS: Trauma-informed care principles were implemented using TTS, emphasizing communication as a bridge to application. Pre- and posttests assessed cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. RESULTS: Students strongly agreed (66.2%) and agreed (25.4%) that TTS enhanced their understanding of TIC and provided an engaging way to practice communication. Knowledge increases were observed regarding health consequences ( P < .001) and assessment approaches ( P = .002). Comfort communicating with angry/disruptive patients increased ( P < .001) after TTS but declined post clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Tag-teaming simulation offers a safe, experiential approach for integrating TIC into nursing education.