Virtual reality to aid in competency-based online nurse practitioner curriculum (VR-NP)

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Simulation Technology
• Competency-Based Education

Background:

• Graduate nursing programs increasingly adopt innovative educational strategies.
• Virtual reality (VR) simulation is emerging as a tool for competency-based education.
• Online learning requires effective methods for practical skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot the use of VR simulation in an online graduate nursing advanced health assessment course.
• To compare the effectiveness and usability of VR simulation versus screen-based simulation.
• To gather data for quality improvement and guide future VR integration.

Main Methods:

• A pilot project implemented VR simulation for advanced health assessments in an online graduate nursing course.
• Sixty-six students participated; 29 used VR equipment, while others used screen-based technology.
• Surveys (SUS, SET-M) and debriefings assessed student experience and simulation effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Students using VR simulation reported satisfaction with remote learning.
• Minimal implementation challenges were observed during the pilot.
• The study gathered data mid-implementation for necessary process adjustments.

Conclusions:

• VR simulation is a viable and satisfactory educational strategy for distance learning in graduate nursing.
• Recommendations are provided for integrating VR simulation into other graduate nursing programs.
• VR simulation shows promise for enhancing competency-based online nurse practitioner curricula.