Immersive virtual reality aggression and violence management education for nursing students: A pre-test, post-test, follow-up evaluation

Background

Nursing students attending clinical placement encounter similar exposure to aggression and violence as qualified clinicians. Universities encounter barriers in aggression and violence management education delivery due to resourcing and time requirements. Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) education may reduce barriers while maintaining comparable learning outcomes to face-to-face simulation-based education.

Method

Nursing students (n = 72), recruited from one public university in Perth, Western Australia, completed a 15-20 minute IVR education program. Pre-, post-, and 4-month post-intervention questionnaires investigated self-reported confidence. Cross-sectional data were collected for system usability and motion sickness.

Results

Significant differences in self-reported confidence were observed (p < .001, partial η2 = 0.53), with large improvements from pre- to post-intervention (p < .001, d = 1.21) and follow-up (p < .001, d = 1.25). Cross-sectional data indicated the program is easy to use and incurs negligible motion sickness.

Conclusion

IVR can deliver effective aggression and violence education for nursing students. The short duration, high usability, and persistence of confidence improvements over time indicate potential for IVR to support current nursing education practices.