Nursing students perceptions of a virtual simulation for developing psychiatric nursing skills: A usability study

Existing virtual simulations address general workplace violence but lack psychiatric-specific features, such as dynamic risk assessment and symptom-focused communication. Our team developed a "Psychiatric Violence Risk Assessment and Response" simulation system to address this gap.

To evaluate the usability of a novel virtual simulation designed for psychiatric violence risk identification and response.

Using the Technology Acceptance Model, 5 experts assessed the virtual simulation with a heuristic checklist, while 15 nursing students evaluated it using the System Usability Scale, satisfaction questionnaire, Simulation Design Scale, and user experience metrics. They also participated in surveys and interviews based on the model.

Pareto analysis indicated that aesthetics and minimalist design were the highest-rated features (21%), while error prevention was the lowest (2%). The scores were: SUS 87.67 ± 5.04, satisfaction 3.56 ± 0.54, and Simulation Design Scale 4.14 ± 0.37.

The virtual simulation system is highly usable, easy to use, and satisfactory, receiving strong overall evaluations.