Effect of Immersive Virtual Reality on Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Students’ In-Dwelling Urinary Catheter Skill and Learning Satisfaction

A fundamental skill required from nursing students is how to manage the insertion of in-dwelling urinary catheters, and this skill is a core competency for nurses. However, practice with conventional test models is insufficient for learning this skill and leads to inadequate proficiency among students. To address this problem, this study created an immersive virtual reality (IVR) scheme, based on the theory of situated learning, to simulate clinical situations. Innovative approaches were adopted to design clinical cases, construct three-dimensional environments, design character dialogs, and integrate artificial intelligence voice recognition. The effect of these design elements on students’ in-dwelling urinary catheter skills and learning satisfaction was explored. First, nursing experts assessed the quality of the IVR scheme. Over a 4-week period, 43 students in a post-baccalaureate nursing program used conventional test models to practice the management of in-dwelling urinary catheters in female patients, and their learning was supplemented by at least two practice sessions with IVR. Data were collected from in-class observation records, a questionnaire survey on student satisfaction, and focused group interviews. The results showed that the participating students were highly satisfied with the IVR scheme and stated that it provided a pleasurable learning experience and exerted a positive impact on them. The IVR scheme provided situations closely resembling real clinical environments, helping the students to memorize the steps for catheter management. The students also noted that the IVR scheme should incorporate other nursing skills, such as empathetical and solicitous care and patient companionship. This enables nursing students to fulfill their role and care for patients in clinical settings.