Using Virtual Simulation to Teach Community Health Nursing Students About Public Health Nursing

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Public Health
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Traditional community/public health nursing education faces challenges in providing diverse clinical experiences.
• Virtual simulation offers an innovative approach to supplement traditional learning methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a virtual simulation in community/public health nursing education.
• To measure changes in student knowledge, satisfaction, and self-confidence.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 121 community health nursing students.
• Students participated in a virtual simulation, completing pre- and post-tests and satisfaction/self-confidence scales.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in participant scores from pretest to posttest were observed.
• Most students reported high satisfaction and self-confidence in their learning.
• Participants identified key learning points and plans for knowledge application in practice.

Conclusions:

• Community/public health nursing virtual simulation is an effective educational tool.
• The virtual simulation positively impacts student knowledge, satisfaction, and self-confidence.
• Virtual simulation enhances the learning experience and prepares students for practice.