The use of immersive and virtual reality technologies to enable nursing students to experience scenario based, basic life support training- exploring the impact on confidence and skills

Rushton, MA; Drumm, IA; Campion, SP; O'Hare, JJ

Abstract

The link between effective basic life support (BLS) and survival following cardiac arrest is well known. Nurses are often first responders at in- hospital cardiac arrests and receive annual BLS training to ensure they have the adequate skills, and student nurses are taught this in preparation for their clinical practice. However, it is clear that some nurses still lack confidence and skills to perform BLS in an emergency situation. This innovative study included 209 participants, used a mixed methods approach and examined three environments to compare confidence and skills in BLS training. The environments were non- immersive (basic skills room), immersive, (the immersive room with video technology), and the Octave (mixed reality facility).
The skills were measured using a Laerdal training manikin (QCPR manikin), with data recorded on a wireless Laerdal Simpad, and the pre and post confidence levels were measured using a questionnaire.

The non-immersive and the immersive room rooms were familiar environments and the students felt more comfortable and relaxed and thus more confident. The Octave offered the higher level of simulation utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Students felt less comfortable and less confident in the Octave; we assert that this was because the environment was unfamiliar. The study identified that placing students in an unfamiliar environment influences the confidence and skills associated with BLS; this could be used as a way of preparing students / nurses with the necessary emotional resilience to cope in stressful situations.

Citation

Rushton, M., Drumm, I., Campion, S., & O'Hare, J. (2020). The use of immersive and virtual reality technologies to enable nursing students to experience scenario based, basic life support training- exploring the impact on confidence and skills. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 38(6), 281-293. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000608

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 4, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Mar 5, 2020
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Nov 27, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 5, 2021
• Journal: CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing
• Print ISSN: 1538-2931
• Electronic ISSN: 1538-9774
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 281-293
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000608
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000608
• Related Public URLs: https://journals.lww.com/cinjournal/pages/default.aspx