Shin, H., Jeon, H., Kim, J., Lee, H., Shim, K., & Shon, S. (2022, July 23). Multisite assessment of a nursing education program using multi-user virtual environment simulation [Oral Presentation]. Sigma Theta Tau International 33rd International Nursing Research Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Purpose

The current pandemic crisis requires greater levels of nursing competency for nurses torespond effectively to complex clinical situations. To meet this need, further designednursing education strategies are required. The purpose of this study was to implement andevaluate the effect of multiuser virtual environment simulation in nursing used in a nursingpracticum on undergraduate students’ clinical judgment, meta-cognition, and nursingcompetence and to identify the effects of differing simulation exposures and resources in amulti-site environment.

Methods

This study used a multi-site, pretest-posttest design to implement and evaluate the effect ofnursing simulation in the multi-user virtual environment. Fifty-seven undergraduate nursingstudents at three universities in different regions of South Korea who were enrolled in anursing practicum participated in this study from September to November 2021. Amongthem, two students who did not respond post-test were eliminated. All three schools appliedthe same simulation scenarios, including the same virtual platform, story-stem, evaluationtools, and similar simulation equipment. Each simulation session using the scenario had thesame protocol of pre-learning, orientation, simulation operation, individual/team reflection,and group debriefing. The used scenarios were child health assessment visiting virtual publichealth office and parenting environment assessment. Students at school A completed onesimulation session, whereas students at schools B and C completed two and four simulationsessions, respec. To assess students’ outcomes, pre and post-scores of meta-cognition andnursing competence and clinical judgment scores for every simulation scenario weremeasured and used in the analysis. Students were asked to respond to an open questionthat describe their experiences after participating in the simulation.

Results

Participants of three universities reported improved nursing competence scores afterparticipating in the simulation in the multi-user virtual environment, and particularly, thescores of students at school C were significantly increased (p= 0.005). Students in School Cwho experienced four scenarios showed a continuous and significant increase in their clinicaljudgment scores after 3rd participation of simulation (p= 0.009), though students at schoolsA and B did not. The meta-cognition scores of students at each school were not affected.Nursing students reported high satisfaction in their virtual experience and educatorsexpressed their willingness to continuously use the program if provided.

Conclusion

Based on the study findings, nursing education using the multiuser virtual environmentsimulation can give students more opportunities in gaining their clinical judgment andnursing competence. Specifically, virtual simulation may induce positive learning outcomesfor nursing competence and metacognition in nursing education.