The Effectiveness of Learning to Use HMD-Based VR Technologies on Nursing Students: Chemoport Insertion Surgery

The effectiveness of virtual reality technology in student nurse education: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of virtual reality technology in nursing education.

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality technology is regarded as one of the advanced and significant instructional tools in contemporary education. However, its effectiveness in nursing education remains a subject of debate, and there is currently limited comprehensive research discussing the impact of varying degrees of virtual technology on the educational effectiveness of nursing students.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

The present systematic review and meta-analysis were applied according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for relevant articles in the English language. The methodologies of the studies evaluated were assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias2 (ROB 2) tool and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) assessment tool. We took the learning satisfaction, knowledge, and skill performance of nursing students as the primary outcomes, and nursing students' self-efficacy, learning motivation, cognitive load, clinical reasoning, and communication ability were assessment as secondary outcomes. The meta-analysis was performed using R 4.3.2 software according to PRISMA guidelines. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 and P statistics. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effective indicators.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies were reviewed, which involved 1815 nursing students. The results showed that virtual reality teaching, especially immersive virtual reality, was effective in improving nursing students' learning satisfaction (SMD: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.53-1.11, P < 0.001), knowledge (SMD: 0.56, 95%CI: 0.34-0.77, P < 0.001), skill performance (SMD: 1.13, 95 % CI: 0.68-1.57, P < 0.001), and self-efficacy (SMD: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.21,1.07, P < 0.001) compared to traditional teaching methods. However, the effects of virtual reality technology on nursing students' motivation, cognitive load, clinical reasoning, and communication ability were not significant and require further research.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that virtual reality technology has a positive impact on nursing students. Nonetheless, it is crucial not to underestimate the effectiveness of traditional education methods, and future research could analyze the impact of different populations on nursing education while improving virtual reality technology, to more comprehensively explore how to improve the quality of nursing education. Moreover, it is imperative to emphasize the integration of virtual education interventions with real-world experiences promptly. This integration is essential for bridging the gap between the virtual learning environment and real-life scenarios effectively.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023420497 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails).

Designing and implementing a training program on surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning, and gloving using HMD-based virtual reality technologies for nursing students: an exploration of student perceptions

Objective

The aim of this study is to determine the steps of a training program utilizing Head-Mounted Display (HMD) based Virtual Reality Technology to enhance nursing students' skills in surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning and gloving, and to evaluate students' perceptions toward the program.

Methods

The study aimed to investigate the potential applications of HMD-Based Virtual Reality Technology in Surgical Hand Scrubbing, Wearing Surgical Cap and Surgical Mask, Gowning and Gloving Program for nursing students, as well as students' perceptions toward this technology. The research was conducted with a focus group consisting of second-year nursing students in Osmaniye/Turkey, between January and June 2022, and the training program was implemented in five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The program was evaluated with a focus group of nursing students. Focus group discussions were conducted to provide insights into students' experiences, feedback, and perceptions of the program.

Results

A vast majority of participants (92.5%) reported feeling fully immersed in the operating room environment during the virtual reality (VR) experience. Notably, all students acknowledged the potential of HMD-Based Virtual Reality Technology to enrich their understanding of surgical hand scrubbing, wearing surgical cap and surgical mask, gowning and gloving procedures, surpassing conventional instructional models. While many participants found the experience exhilarating (85.1%), a considerable portion reported a decline in engagement after repeated exposures (88.8%). Overall, participants welcomed the integration of VR technology into education, expressing optimism about its capacity to facilitate additional instructional modules (74.4%). Moreover, they conveyed satisfaction with the opportunity to engage with the VR application, emphasizing its significant educational value (81.4%).

Conclusion

Based on these findings, we can suggest that virtual reality technology has the potential to have an impact on nursing students' education. The majority of students expressing a sense of presence in the operating room highlights the value of this method in education. However, the reported boredom after repeated experiences by most participants underscores the importance of diversifying the program and introducing innovative approaches to keep students engaged.

Promoting knowledge of metered dose inhaler (MDI) usage among pharmacy professional students through a mobile app

INTRODUCTION

Efficient asthma management necessitates optimal usage of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). As future health professionals, pharmacy students are pivotal in disseminating accurate methodologies for MDI usage. Despite having hands-on experience, there is room to enhance their comprehension, highlighting the need for prompt patient educational interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app-assisted educational method in improving pharmacy students' understanding of MDI usage.

METHODS

A pre-experimental study was conducted from March to August 2021 with 45 participants enrolled in the Pharmacist Professional Study Program at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Using a one-group pretest-post-test design, the study measured the app's impact on students' knowledge and MDI usage skills.

RESULTS

The intervention significantly improved students' scores on a 9-step MDI usage checklist, with increases ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 across verbal and motor components. A Mann-Whitney U test validated these findings, showing a statistically significant p-value of 0.001.

CONCLUSION

The mobile app-assisted educational approach substantially enhanced pharmacy students' proficiency in MDI use. The significant rise in mean scores for the 9-step checklist, along with the notable p-value, supports the effectiveness of this intervention in healthcare education.

Effectiveness of virtual reality in nursing education: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the transformative potential of Virtual Reality (VR) has shown significant potential in transforming nursing education by providing immersive and interactive learning experiences. Our objective is to systematically evaluate and conduct a meta-analysizes on the impact effect of virtual reality technology in teaching nursing students.

METHODS

To achieve this, we conducted comprehensive computer searches on platforms including of PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Zhiwang database, Wanfang database, and China Biomedical Literature Service (SinoMed), were conducted to collect randomized controlled trial studies on the use of virtual reality's technology for teaching nursing students built up to until March 2023., and the Cochrane Furthermore, the quality of the included literature was assessed evaluated using the quality evaluation criteria specified for randomized controlled trial studies within the Cochrane provided in the evaluation handbook manual. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software.

RESULTS

The aggregate outcomes from a total of 12 randomized controlled trials, encompassing including 1167 students, indicate were included. Meta-analysis results showed that virtual reality technology significantly enhances could better improve nursing students'' theoretical knowledge [(SMD = 0.97, 95% CI [0.48, 1.46], p < 0.001)], practical skills (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI [0.33, 1.46], p < 0.001), skill retention, (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI [0.33, 0.71], p < 0.001), and satisfaction levels (SMD = 1.14, 95% CI [0.85, 1.43], p < 0.001), in comparison with traditional or alternative teaching methodologies. However, no statistically significant impact was observed on the enhancement of critical thinking skills (SMD = 0.79, 95% CI [-0.05, 1.64], p = 0.07) among nursing students.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore that compared to conventional teaching methods, virtual reality offers superior potential in advancing nursing students' theoretical knowledge, practice proficiencies, and overall satisfaction, while not yielding a significant advantage in enhancing critical thinking skills. The incorporated literature consisted exclusively of randomized controlled trials, albeit a subset of these studies omitted descriptions of the allocation concealment strategy.

Virtual Reality Technology in Nursing Professional Skills Training: Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Nursing professional skills training has undergone significant transformation due to the exponential growth of computer and medical technology. The innovative use of virtual reality (VR) in nursing education has emerged as a cutting-edge technical support technique that has gained attention as a highly effective method for improving nurse training quality.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to review the current status of VR technology in nursing professional skills training, research hotspots, and emerging trends in the last 15 years.

METHODS

The Web of Science Core Collection database was used to search for literature on VR technology in nursing professional skills training covering the period from 2006 to 2022. Biblioshiny (K-Synth Srl) was used to import and convert the records to Bibliometrix (K-Synth Srl) for analysis, and R (R Core Team) was used for descriptive bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer (Leiden University) was used to cluster co-occurring keywords, and Scimago Graphica (version 1.0.16; Scimago Lab) was used to generate a geographical visualization of published countries and regions.

RESULTS

A total of 1073 papers were analyzed, indicating a surge in research on the application of VR in nursing professional skills training in recent years, as evidenced by a positive trend in annual publication of relevant literature. The majority of studies were from the United States (n=340) and Canada (n=107), and Margaret Verkuyl was the most prolific author, leading the way with 9 publications. Furthermore, "Computerized Virtual Patients in Health Professions Education: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" was the most frequently cited reference. Keywords such as education, simulation, skills, students, and care were most commonly used by researchers.

CONCLUSIONS

The bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the use of VR in nursing professional skills training, indicating that VR-based training is an effective means of improving the skills and competencies of nursing students and professionals alike. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of developing VR-based distance education, despite challenges such as integrating virtual and real-world training and mitigating safety risks.

Effects of Digital Learning and Virtual Reality in Port-A Catheter Training Course for Oncology Nurses: A Mixed-Methods Study

In-service education for oncology nurses usually adopts didactic teaching. This study investigated the effects of virtual reality (VR) and a digital learning-based Port-A-catheter educational course for oncology nurses. A mixed-methods research design was employed, with a convenience sample of 43 nurses from a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan participating. Measurements were taken at three time points: pre-test, 1st post-test, and 2nd post-test. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated ANOVA tests. Results showed significant improvement in Port-A-catheter knowledge and skill levels (p < 0.0001) and high learning attitude and satisfaction scores of 4.29 ± 0.46 and 4.31 ± 0.58 points, respectively. Five qualitative themes emerged, highlighting the realistic VR scenarios, VR practice’s usefulness, willingness to learn with VR, VR system limitations, and the potential for future courses. The study concluded that a VR-based educational course effectively enhanced nurses’ knowledge, skills, learning attitude, and satisfaction, recommending the inclusion of diverse clinical scenarios for practical learning.

Development and evaluation of a virtual reality mechanical ventilation education program for nursing students

BACKGROUND

Since COVID-19 limits safe clinical practice settings, virtual reality (VR) emerged as an alternative to practical education. Using VR simulation to learn mechanical ventilation is rare in nursing education.

METHODS

This study developed a VR simulation program for mechanical ventilation care and evaluated its effects. We adopted a quasi-experiment design. Participants were fourth-year students across nursing colleges in South Korea.

RESULTS

The interaction effect of the intervention time point and control group, to which the VR simulation program was applied, showed a significant difference in self-efficacy (F = 19.54, p < .001) and clinical reasoning capacity (F = 16.97, p < .001). Learning satisfaction of the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than that of the control group(F = 5.22, p = .026). The level of learning immersion (t = - 3.13, p = .003) and learning satisfaction (t = - 3.49, p = .001) were statistically significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group.

CONCLUSION

These findings confirmed that the VR stimulation program for nursing students had a positive effect on their self-efficacy, clinical reasoning capacity, and learning satisfaction. Furthermore, it was effective in improving their nursing competence.