Development of neonatal Apgar scoring training program utilizing contactless hand tracking in immersive virtual...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Accurate neonatal asphyxia assessment is vital for preventing infant mortality.
• Nursing students require practical skills in newborn assessment and intervention.
• Virtual reality (VR) simulation offers a safe, repeatable, and accessible training method for healthcare education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an immersive VR neonatal Apgar scoring program using contactless hand-tracking.
• To compare VR training with traditional simulation and didactic instruction for neonatal assessment skills.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study with a pre-post-test design was conducted with nursing students.
• Participants were divided into three groups: VR training, face-to-face simulation, and control (didactic instruction).
• The VR group used a contactless hand-tracking immersive VR program for neonatal Apgar scoring.

Main Results:

• The VR group demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge, learning satisfaction, self-confidence, immersion, and motivation.
• Learning satisfaction was notably higher in the VR group compared to the simulation group.
• The VR program proved effective in enhancing neonatal Apgar scoring skills among nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Contactless hand-tracking immersive VR is an innovative and effective tool for neonatal Apgar scoring education.
• This VR program respects patient privacy and can supplement or replace traditional, observation-based clinical training.
• VR simulation offers a promising future for neonatal nursing education, addressing limitations of current methods.