Adoption of Augmented Reality in Educational Programs for Nurses in Intensive Care Units of Tertiary Academic Hospitals: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: In the wake of challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to conventional medical education, the demand for innovative teaching methods has surged. Nurse training, with its focus on hands-on practice and self-directed learning, encountered significant hurdles with conventional approaches. Augmented reality (AR) offers a potential solution to addressing this issue.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop, introduce, and evaluate an AR-based educational program designed for nurses, focusing on its potential to facilitate hands-on practice and self-directed learning.

Methods: An AR-based educational program for nursing was developed anchored by the Kern six-step framework. First, we identified challenges in conventional teaching methods through interviews and literature reviews. Interviews highlighted the need for hands-on practice and on-site self-directed learning with feedback from a remote site. The training goals of the platform were established by expert trainers and researchers, focusing on the utilization of a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system. Intensive care nurses were enrolled to evaluate AR education. We then assessed usability and acceptability of the AR training using the System Usability Scale and Technology Acceptance Model with intensive care nurses who agreed to test the new platform. Additionally, selected participants provided deeper insights through semistructured interviews.

Results: This study highlights feasibility and key considerations for implementing an AR-based educational program for intensive care unit nurses, focusing on training objectives of the platform. Implemented over 2 months using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides and HoloLens 2, 28 participants were trained. Feedback gathered through interviews with the trainers and trainees indicated a positive reception. In particular, the trainees mentioned finding AR particularly useful for hands-on learning, appreciating its realism and the ability for repetitive practice. However, some challenges such as difficulty in adapting to the new technology were expressed. Overall, AR exhibits potential as a supplementary tool in nurse education.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to substitute conventional methods with AR in this specific area of critical care nursing. These results indicate the multiple principal factors to take into consideration when adopting AR education in hospitals. AR is effective in promoting self-directed learning and hands-on practice, with participants displaying active engagement and enhanced skill acquisition.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05629663; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05629663.