Developing a Virtual Reality Simulation Program for Improving Nursing Students' Clinical Reasoning Skills in Home...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Informatics
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Traditional nursing simulations primarily focus on hospital settings.
• There is a significant gap in training for assessing healthcare needs in home environments.
• Effective methods for home-based patient assessment training are underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a virtual reality (VR) simulation program for nursing students.
• To enhance clinical reasoning and confidence in assessing home healthcare needs.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of VR simulation in nursing education for community health.

Main Methods:

• A VR simulation program was developed based on literature review and expert consultation.
• Phase 1 involved validation by home visit and public health nurses.
• Phase 2 utilized a single-blinded randomized trial comparing VR simulation to video-based learning for nursing students.

Main Results:

• The primary outcome measured was the improvement in clinical reasoning skills.
• Secondary outcomes included student satisfaction and self-confidence levels.
• The study aimed to quantify the effectiveness of VR in a home care context.

Conclusions:

• The VR simulation program shows potential for improving nursing students' ability to assess home healthcare needs.
• Enhanced clinical reasoning and confidence are key benefits observed.
• This innovative approach addresses a critical need in community and home nursing education.