Virtual patient simulation in an interactive educational module on intimate partner violence: nursing students'...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Healthcare professionals report uncertainty in addressing intimate partner violence (IPV).
• Virtual patient (VP) cases offer interactive training for clinical reasoning.
• Limited research exists on VP use in psychiatric and nursing education regarding IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate nursing students' experiences with a VP module for intimate partner violence (IPV) training.
• To assess the effectiveness of VP cases in foundational nursing education on IPV.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data.
• Participants (N=62) completed a three-part module: web-based education, VP training, and seminar.
• The module focused on intimate partner violence (IPV) within nursing education.

Main Results:

• The VP platform was user-friendly, though some found instructions difficult.
• Students perceived VPs as beneficial for learning about IPV and practicing dialogues.
• Feedback from experts and the VP was appreciated, but VPs lacked the emotional depth of human interaction.

Conclusions:

• The integrated educational module, including VP, was positively received by nursing students.
• VPs were considered beneficial for IPV education, easy to use, and valuable for practice.
• VP training offers a practical approach to enhance nursing students' skills in addressing intimate partner violence.