Virtual Escapes: A Pedagogical Strategy for Developing Emotional Competence in Nursing Students.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Emotional competence is crucial for effective nursing practice, encompassing cognitive and behavioral aspects.
• Current nursing education may not adequately address the development of emotional competence.
• Understanding and managing emotions are vital for performance in complex clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of a Serious Games (SGs) prototype with virtual reality (VR) as a pedagogical strategy.
• To investigate the use of a VR escape room for eliciting emotions in a safe learning environment.
• To assess the feasibility of using SGs with VR for developing emotional competence in nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted using a VR escape room as a Serious Games (SGs) prototype.
• Participants (n=51) engaged with the VR environment to identify, manage, and process emotions.
• Data were collected through questionnaires and performance observations.

Main Results:

• Participants reported experiencing a range of emotions during the VR escape room experience.
• Admiration, pride, satisfaction, and fear were the most frequently reported emotions.
• Hope, shame, and contempt were the least frequently reported emotions.

Conclusions:

• Serious Games (SGs) prototypes with virtual reality (VR) show significant potential for emotion elicitation in educational settings.
• The VR escape room provides a safe and controlled environment for developing emotional competence.
• Further research is recommended to validate the educational value of this pedagogical approach in nursing.