[Experiences of nursing students with virtual reality-based anatomy education in Korea: a qualitative content...

This study explored the experiences of nursing students in Korea regarding virtual reality (VR)-based anatomy education.

A qualitative study was conducted with 103 first-year nursing students who had participated in immersive VR-based anatomy education. Nursing students wore head mounted displays and controllers, and performed VR-based practice for 10 minutes per student. The submitted materials were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method developed by Elo and Kyngäs.

The collected materials were classified into three themes, six categories, and 14 subcategories. Three themes are emerged: (1) amazing experiential learning about the human body, (2) challenges in VR-based anatomy education, and (3) expandability of VR-based anatomy education. These results showed that nursing students who participated in VR-based anatomy education experienced "amazing" experiential learning about the human body in this new approach, with the vividness and knowledge consolidation of VR. However, nursing students experienced challenges in VR-based anatomy education related to the unfamiliarity and limitations of VR. Furthermore, they experienced the expandability of VR-based anatomy education by strengthening learning motivation and new approach to nursing education.

This study will help in planning VR-based education in human anatomy by exploring the experiences of nursing students. It is suggested that VR-based education in human anatomy be expanded and implemented as part of regular anatomy practice within the curriculum rather than a one-time educational intervention.