Effects of virtual reality-based disaster simulation education on nursing students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Disaster preparedness is crucial for healthcare professionals.
• Traditional simulation methods may have limitations in replicating realistic disaster scenarios.
• Virtual Reality (VR) offers immersive and interactive learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To confirm the effectiveness of disaster simulation education utilizing virtual reality (VR).
• To evaluate the impact of VR-based disaster simulation on nursing students' preparedness.
• To assess specific improvements in disaster triage, confidence, immersion, and cognitive flexibility.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group, pretest-posttest design.
• Involved 67 nursing students (33 experimental, 34 control) from two universities.
• The experimental group received VR disaster simulation education based on cognitive continuum theory; the control group received written case simulation.

Main Results:

• The VR group showed significant improvements in disaster triage accuracy (p < .001) and confidence (p = .009).
• Enhanced learning immersion (p < .001) and cognitive flexibility (p < .001) were observed in the VR group.
• These findings indicate a strong positive impact of VR simulation on key preparedness metrics.

Conclusions:

• VR simulation education, grounded in cognitive continuum theory, is a viable and effective strategy.
• The developed VR program shows potential for strengthening disaster response capabilities.
• This approach offers a promising educational tool for future healthcare professionals' disaster training.