Exploring icebreakers in nursing education through a mixed-methods design: helpful or harmful?

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dc.contributor.authorVogelsang, Laura
dc.contributor.authorVandenberg, Shannon
dc.contributor.authorMagnuson, Morgan
dc.contributor.authorWalstra, Samantha
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-04T20:22:53Z
dc.date.available2025-11-04T20:22:53Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionOpen access article. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) applies
dc.description.abstractBackground: Icebreakers share the common goal of promoting interaction. Despite the overwhelming positive regard for icebreakers in nursing education, they may have unintended consequences, such as highlighting inequities or perpetuating microaggressions. This research project incorporated the concept of microaggressions to explore how undergraduate nursing students experienced icebreakers within the classroom setting. Methods: This mixed-methods exploratory sequential design study used a quantitative survey followed by a semi-structured focus group using interpretive description thematic analysis. Results: A total of 43 students completed the quantitative survey, and three students participated in the follow-up focus group. The findings demonstrate that although well intentioned, icebreakers can also cause harm. Three themes were generated: revealing inequities, unveiling multiple tensions, and identifying conflict between purpose and outcome. Conclusion: Through our small study, we found that icebreakers can detract from content delivery, reveal inequities, and be divisive rather than contribute to a greater sense of belonging for students.
dc.description.peer-reviewYes
dc.identifier.citationVogelsang, L., Vandenberg, S., Magnuson, M. C., & Walstra, S. (2025). Exploring icebreakers in nursing education through a mixed-methods design: helpful or harmful? Quality Advancement in Nursing Education, 11(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.17483/
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/7214
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherCanadian Association of Schools of Nursing
dc.publisher.facultyHealth Sciences
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Lethbridge
dc.publisher.urlhttps://doi.org/10.17483/
dc.subjectNursing education
dc.subjectMixed-methods
dc.subjectTeaching strategies
dc.subjectClassroom
dc.subjectIcebreakers
dc.subjectNursing students
dc.subject.lcshNursing--Study and teaching
dc.titleExploring icebreakers in nursing education through a mixed-methods design: helpful or harmful?
dc.typeArticle
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Vogelsang, Laura
Magnuson, Morgan
Vandenberg, Shannon