Using Virtual Reality to Improve Nurses Response to Stressful Situations in the Clinical Environment.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Technology
• Mental Wellness

Background:

• Nursing stress and burnout contribute to high turnover rates.
• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques are crucial for managing workplace stress.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive platform for stress-reduction interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience in mitigating nurse burnout.
• To enhance nurses' confidence and skills in managing stressful workplace situations through VR.
• To assess the impact of VR on nurses' perceived knowledge and stress levels.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, quantitative intervention design.
• Measurement of perceived knowledge, confidence, and stress levels pre- and post-intervention.
• Assessment of system usability using descriptive frequencies and Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in nurses' confidence and perceived knowledge regarding stress management.
• A notable reduction in perceived stress levels among nurse participants post-VR intervention.
• The VR intervention demonstrated acceptable usability among the 85 participants.

Conclusions:

• Immersive virtual reality technology significantly enhances nurse wellness and resilience.
• VR interventions are effective and efficient tools for reducing burnout in healthcare settings.
• The VR approach is easily replicable across diverse healthcare environments.