Quantifying Eye Tracking Between Skilled Nurses and Nursing Students in Intravenous Injection.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Cognitive Science
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Acquiring tacit nursing knowledge and skills is crucial for nursing students.
• Tacit knowledge, often difficult to verbalize, is essential for expert nursing practice.
• Understanding the visual strategies of expert nurses can support skill acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the differences in gaze patterns between expert nurses and nursing students during skill performance.
• To identify visual cues and strategies used by expert nurses that contribute to tacit skill learning.
• To explore the potential of eye tracking technology for supporting the learning of tacit nursing skills.

Main Methods:

• Utilized eye-tracking technology (eye mark recorder) to measure gaze behavior.
• Compared eye movements of expert nurses and nursing students during simulated nursing skill execution.
• Focused analysis on the specific actions related to needle insertion.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in gaze patterns between expert nurses and students.
• Expert nurses demonstrated efficient and task-specific eye movements, particularly during needle insertion.
• Visual attention was directed strategically to critical areas during the procedure.

Conclusions:

• Eye tracking provides valuable insights into the tacit knowledge of expert nurses.
• The visual strategies identified can inform the development of targeted learning support for nursing students.
• Optimizing gaze behavior through education can enhance the acquisition of psychomotor nursing skills.