Usability and usefulness of virtual reality simulation from the patient perspective on the therapeutic environment in...

Virtual reality (VR) simulations are innovative educational tools that can deepen nursing students' understanding of patient experiences and mitigate stigma toward mental illness. In this context, this study aimed to develop a VR simulation enabling nursing students to embody the patient experience within the therapeutic environment in psychiatry and to assess its usability and usefulness.

This study employed a mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative surveys and qualitative feedback. The VR simulation was designed to enable users to embody the perspective of a patient with acute schizophrenia. Fifty-seven nursing students participated in the VR simulation; 47 of them completed a post-simulation questionnaire assessing usability and usefulness. We analyzed quantitative data through descriptive statistics and qualitative responses via content analysis.

The VR simulation demonstrated high usability and usefulness, though participants noted technical issues such as poor audio quality and head-mounted display fogging. Qualitative feedback yielded four descriptive categories: (1) Facilitating understanding of the therapeutic environment in psychiatry; (2) Understanding the patient experience; (3) Increased awareness of considerate communication, and (4) Increased awareness of patient rights advocacy.

This study shows that the VR simulation successfully immersed nursing students in embodying the patient perspective of the therapeutic environment in psychiatry. While the tool demonstrated high usability and educational value, technical limitations persisted and must be addressed to optimize experiential learning outcomes.