Where's the germs? The effects of using virtual reality on nursing students' hospital infection prevention during the COVID‐19 pandemic

• Published in: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 37; no. 6; pp. 1622 - 1628
• Main Authors: Liu, Yingjie, Butzlaff, Alice
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2021; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Classroom Environment; Classrooms; Computer Mediated Communication; Computer Simulation; COVID-19; distance; Education; Educational technology; Electronic Learning; Hospitals; Instructional design; Instructional Effectiveness; Learning; Learning Activities; Nurses; nursing; Nursing Education; Nursing Students; Pandemics; Prevention; Simulated Environment; Special Issue; Student Attitudes; Students; Substitutes; Synchronous Communication; Teaching methods; Training; Virtual reality; virtual reality; education; COVID‐19; distance; students; learning; nursing
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.12601

Background Virtual reality can be a useful substitute to improve nursing education outside of the hospital setting. In the wake of COVID‐19, an opportunity to compare a virtual reality activity for nursing students in the traditional classroom and in an online environment took place. Objectives The goal of this study was to examine the effects of incorporating a virtual reality activity into the traditional classroom and in an online environment to enhance nursing education. Methods Fifty nursing students participated in an exploratory descriptive study. Twenty‐five students participated face‐to‐face while in the traditional classroom setting and 25‐students participated in an online environment using a communication platform. Through a virtual reality activity, nursing students successfully created a tour which demonstrated identifying infectious sites in a hospital room setting. Results and Conclusions Results of the pre‐and post‐test showed students’ positive perceptions and performances in both traditional classroom and online settings. However, the study revealed a statistical difference between the two group perceptions towards the use of the virtual reality tour creator. Nursing students who were in the traditional classroom group found that the use the virtual reality tour creator was easier. Implications Designing a meaningful virtual reality activity has a positive impact of the student learning experience. Students may benefit from a more through orientation to the technology prior to engaging in the activity. A carefully constructed activity can enhance student learning outside of the hospital room. Lay Description What is already known about this topic? Virtual reality can be applied to nursing education with a positive impact on the student learning experience. Nursing students perceived the virtual reality learning activity useful to substitute for in‐hospital training. What this paper adds? Virtual reality learning activities can help promote nursing performance in both the traditional classroom and online settings. Students can have similar academic performance between the classroom and online modes despite having different experiences. Implications for practice and/or policy Virtual reality integration might be implemented by pre‐training to make sure students are comfortable with the technology before jumping into course activities. The instructional design and delivery of a virtual reality learning activity greatly influenced the students' learning experiences, rather than the use of virtual reality technology itself.