Increasing awareness, sensitivity, and empathy for Alzheimer's dementia patients using simulation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Gerontology
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia, significantly impacting individuals over 65.
• Effective management of AD patients requires specialized knowledge and skills for future nurses across healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a virtual reality (VR) dementia simulation on nursing students' awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity towards AD patients.
• Assess changes in perceptions before and after the VR experience.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, repeated-measure pre-post design was employed with 163 undergraduate nursing students.
• Participants engaged in a 45-minute VR dementia simulation, including pre-briefing, individual simulation, and faculty-facilitated debriefing.
• Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS) and Healthcare Tour Survey were administered pre/post; Knowledge About Memory Loss and Care Test (KAML-C) and qualitative reflections were also collected.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001) were observed in the pre/post DAS and Healthcare Tour Survey scores.
• No significant changes were found in KAML-C scores, though a trend toward improvement was noted.
• No significant differences in outcomes were observed across different nursing courses.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality dementia simulation is an effective strategy for enhancing nursing students' perceptions of awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity regarding AD.
• Further research is recommended to optimize VR experiences for improved AD patient care outcomes.