Impact of virtual reality training on nurses' preparedness and self-efficacy in emergencies and disasters: A...

Emergency preparedness in hospitals for disasters is unexpectedly required. Disasters, however, are rarely encountered clinically, making it ideal for simulation, such as Virtual Reality (VR).

To examine the impact of an immersive VR disaster training program on disaster preparedness and self-efficacy in emergency (ER) nurses.

A quasi-experimental design with one-group repeated measures. 90 ER nurses were recruited to receive disaster training through immersive VR. Nurses' Perceptions of Disaster Core Competencies (NPDCC) and Disaster Response Self-Efficacy (DRSES) were collected before, immediately, and one month after the training.

Paired t-tests revealed significant improvements in both NPDCC and DRSES scores from pre-test to post-test (NPDCC: t (89) = -12.45, p < 0.001; DRSES: t (89) = -10.65, p < 0.001). The follow-up scores showed a slight decrease compared to post-test scores but remained significantly higher than pre-test scores (NPDCC: t (89) = -6.72, p < 0.001; DRSES: t (89) = -4.99, p < 0.001).

This study provides compelling evidence for the efficacy of immersive VR disaster training in enhancing disaster preparedness and self-efficacy among emergency nurses. Healthcare institutions and nursing education programs should incorporate VR training modules into their curricula and ongoing professional development.