Virtual Reality (VR) in Nursing Education: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Introduction:

The advent of technology has revolutionized various sectors, including education. In the field of nursing, Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing student learning experiences. This literature review aims to investigate the application and impact of VR in nursing education by analyzing relevant studies.

Section 1: Background

  • Briefly discuss the historical context and evolution of technology in nursing education, emphasizing the role of VR in recent years.
  • Discuss the potential benefits of integrating VR into nursing education, such as improved student engagement, increased retention of knowledge, and enhanced skills development.

Section 2: Literature Search Strategy

  • Describe the databases, keyword searches, and inclusion/exclusion criteria used to identify relevant studies.

Section 3: Findings

  • Summarize the key findings from the identified studies, including but not limited to:
    • The effectiveness of VR in enhancing nursing students’ learning outcomes.
    • The impact of VR on student engagement and motivation.
    • The potential role of VR in overcoming practical limitations in traditional nursing education.
    • Any reported challenges or drawbacks in implementing VR in nursing education.

Section 4: Discussion

  • Interpret the findings, focusing on common themes and patterns across studies.
  • Compare the results with existing research on traditional teaching methods in nursing education to highlight the unique advantages of VR.
  • Discuss potential implications for nursing educators and policymakers regarding the integration of VR into nursing education programs.

Section 5: Conclusion

  • Summarize the main findings of the literature review and their significance in the context of nursing education.
  • Highlight any gaps in existing research that could inform future studies on this topic.

References:

  • Cite all the relevant studies used in the literature review, ensuring proper formatting and accuracy. Based on the provided context, it appears that Virtual Reality (VR) simulations have been used in nursing education to teach various skills such as intra-venous catheter insertion, chemotherapy administration, nasogastric tube feeding, and other procedures. Research suggests that using VR simulations can lead to improved psychomotor skill scores, knowledge, and confidence among nursing students. A systematic review also indicates that immersive virtual reality applications can be beneficial for higher education in general.

In terms of literature review on nursing students and VR, you might consider the following articles:

  1. Ismailo˘glu, Orkun, E¸ser, & Zaybak (2020): This study compares psychomotor skill scores between a group that used a VR simulator for intra-venous catheter insertion and one that watched a video of the procedure.
  2. Chan et al., (2021): The authors evaluate the effect of VR simulation on nursing students’ knowledge and attitude towards chemotherapy administration.
  3. Chao et al., (2021): This study investigates the impact of an immersive 3D interactive video program on nursing students’ knowledge and confidence in nasogastric tube feeding.
  4. Radianti, Majchrzak, Fromm, Wohlgenannt (2020): This systematic review explores immersive virtual reality applications for higher education, providing insights into design elements, lessons learned, and a research agenda.
  5. Rim, Shin (2021): The authors propose an effective instructional design template for virtual simulations in nursing education.
  6. Ryoo & Ha (2015): This article discusses the importance of debriefing in simulation-based learning.
  7. Saab et al., (2021): In this qualitative study, the authors explore nursing students’ views on using VR in healthcare.
  8. Sagnier et al., (2020): This research article discusses user acceptance of virtual reality and uses an extended technology acceptance model to understand it better.
  9. Sammon, Charlton, Snowball, Weil (2015): The authors examine the incidence of childhood obesity using a VR application. Based on the provided context, it appears that using Virtual Reality (VR) simulation can significantly improve various skills and knowledge areas for nursing students. Here are some key findings from the studies mentioned:
  10. Intra-venous catheter insertion skills: A study by Ismailo et al. (2020) shows that nursing students who used a VR simulator to learn intra-venous catheter insertion scored higher on psychomotor skill scores compared to those who merely watched a video of the procedure.
  11. Chemotherapy administration: Chan et al. (2021) found that education using VR simulation improved nursing students’ knowledge and attitude towards chemotherapy administration.
  12. Nasogastric tube feeding: The use of an immersive 3D interactive video program for training nasogastric tube feeding has been shown to improve nursing students’ knowledge and confidence, as reported by Chao et al. (2021).
  13. Virtual simulations in general: Rim and Shin (2021) discuss an effective instructional design template for virtual simulations in nursing education, while Ryoo and Ha (2015) highlight the importance of debriefing in simulation-based learning.

In addition to these studies, it may be beneficial to explore user acceptance of VR, as discussed by Sagnier et al. (2020), as well as nursing students’ views on using VR in healthcare, as reported by Saab et al. (2021). Lastly, understanding knowledge acquisition and potential side effects such as cybersickness in different VR devices, as presented by Polcar and Horejsi (2015), could contribute to a comprehensive literature review on nursing students and VR.

For a more exhaustive literature review, additional research may need to be conducted to gather more studies focusing on the impact of VR on various nursing skills and student performance, as well as the design elements and lessons learned from using immersive virtual reality applications in higher education, as detailed by Radianti et al. (2020). Based on the provided context, it appears that using Virtual Reality (VR) simulation has shown to be beneficial for nursing students in terms of improving their skills, knowledge, and confidence in various procedures such as intra-venous catheter insertion, chemotherapy administration, nasogastric tube feeding, and more.

A literature review on this topic could include studies like:

  1. Ismailo˘ glu et al., (2020) who found that nursing students using a VR simulator for intra-venous catheter insertion skills showed higher psychomotor skill scores than those who merely watched a video of the procedure.
  2. Chan et al., (2021) who studied the impact of VR simulation on nursing students’ knowledge and attitude toward chemotherapy administration.
  3. Chao et al., (2021) who found that using an immersive 3D interactive video program for training nasogastric tube feeding improved nursing students’ knowledge and confidence.
  4. Radianti et al., (2020) conducted a systematic review of immersive virtual reality applications for higher education, which could provide insights into the design elements and lessons learned from using VR in this context.
  5. Rim & Shin, (2021) discussed an effective instructional design template for virtual simulations in nursing education.
  6. Ryoo & Ha, (2015) explored the importance of debriefing in simulation-based learning, which is crucial when using VR simulations.
  7. Saab et al., (2021) studied nursing students’ views of using virtual reality in healthcare, which could provide insights into their attitudes towards VR training.
  8. Sagnier et al., (2020) investigated user acceptance of virtual reality and an extended technology acceptance model, which might help in understanding the factors influencing adoption of VR simulations in nursing education.

Additional research may be necessary to find more recent studies or ones that focus on specific aspects of using VR for nursing education such as the incidence of cybersickness or the impact on psychomotor skills and confidence in high-risk procedures.