Virtual Reality Training to Improve Nursing Students Skills in Day Surgery Patient Counseling A Pilot Study Testing Feasibility and Student Experience

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to assess whether a virtual reality VR educational program can help nursing students improve their counseling skills for patients undergoing day surgery. Day surgery patients have limited hospital time but require thorough information about their surgery, recovery, and home care. Nurses face challenges providing effective education in such short timeframes, and traditional nursing education often lacks the emotional and patient perspective needed for real clinical situations. The study focuses on a new VR-based intervention designed to fill this gap. The intervention, called CINDY, is a 90-minute VR educational program delivered via the ThingLink platform. It includes interactive 360-degree videos that show the day surgery patient journey from admission to discharge, emphasizing patient concerns, anxiety management, and practical counseling techniques. The study compares 30 nursing students who receive this VR program alongside their standard perioperative education with 30 students who receive only standard education. This pilot feasibility study will run for about six to seven months. Participants will be assessed at three points before the intervention, immediately after, and four to six weeks later. The study collects both quantitative data on counseling skills, usability, recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as qualitative feedback from students, educators, and nurses through interviews and focus groups. The primary goal is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the VR program to inform a future larger study on its effectiveness in nursing education.

Virtual Reality Educational Intervention for Nursing Students' Day Surgery Patient Counselling