Effects of educational methods using extended reality on pre-registration nursing students' knowledge, skill,...

This study examined whether educational methods utilizing extended reality (XR) improve pre-registration nursing students' knowledge, skills, confidence, and satisfaction compared with traditional methods.

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of XR in nursing education based on the Cochrane methodology.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi from inception of each database to March 21, 2024.

Two authors independently screened study titles and abstracts to identify potentially relevant studies. Subsequently, two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of the studies based on full-text reviews and extracted the data. They calculated the pooled effect estimates associated with pre-registration nursing students' knowledge and skills, confidence, and satisfaction using a random-effects meta-analytic model.

Among the 1615 records identified, 128 studies were identified. Following full-text evaluation, 38 studies were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis included 34 studies. XR had significant positive effects on knowledge (N = 1926, standard mean difference [SMD] = 0.55, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.34 to 0.77), skills (N = 904, SMD = 1.00, 95 % CI: 0.46 to 1.54), and satisfaction (N = 574, SMD = 1.19, 95 % CI: 0.09 to 2.30). In particular, immersive virtual reality (VR) had significant positive effects on knowledge (N = 707, SMD = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.36 to 0.83), skills (N = 302, SMD = 1.60, 95%CI: 0.70 to 2.50), and satisfaction (N = 406; SMD = 1.63, 95%CI: 0.04 to 3.22).

XR may be a viable teaching strategy for improving knowledge, skills, and satisfaction acquisition. In particular, immersive VR improves knowledge, skills, and satisfaction. XR could not be a direct replacement for traditional methods but can complement pre-registration nursing students' traditional education methods.