Development of an Interactive 3D Visualization Tutorial for Pathophysiology in Graduate Nursing Education.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Simulation
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Revisions to Nurse Practitioner Role Core Competencies necessitate changes in graduate education.
• Advanced practice nursing education requires innovative technological integration for practice-ready providers.
• Current graduate education lacks effective visualization tools for pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the lack of evidence for 3D augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality in advanced practice core courses.
• To develop and evaluate an innovative, interactive visualization tool for studying pathophysiology.
• To enhance graduate nursing education through technology integration.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative, iterative approach was employed for the design, development, and refinement of a 3D AR tutorial.
• The tutorial focused on advanced pathophysiology concepts.
• The development process involved analysis, updating, and reiteration based on feedback.

Main Results:

• Students reported positive experiences with the 3D AR tutorial.
• Perception of 3D AR as a tool to increase examination scores was noted.
• The visualization effectively connected disease processes, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatments.

Conclusions:

• 3D AR tutorials offer an effective solution for learning complex pathophysiology.
• This technology facilitates learning by incorporating visual, aural, verbal, kinesthetic, and logical techniques.
• 3D AR enhances graduate nursing education, preparing competent providers for improved health outcomes.