JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Nursing education is facing various challenges. Virtual reality(VR) is an innovative type of simulation, providing the possibility for practical nurses and other health care providers with repeated skill exercises.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to meta-analyze the efficacy of VR for nursing education.

Methods:

We used an electronic (the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL) and manual search up to December, 2019 to identify studies reporting knowledge, skills, satisfaction, confidence and performance time. Two independent reviewers carried out the study selection and data extraction. Cochrane criteria for risk of bias was applied to assess the methodological quality of the studies.

Results:

Twelve studies, including 821 participants, were included in the final review. VR had a superior effect on improving knowledge when compared with control groups[SMD = 0.58, 95%CI (0.41, 0.75), p<0.00001, I2 = 47%]. But there’s no difference between experimental and control groups in skills[SMD= 0.01, 95%CI (-0.24, 0.26), p=0.93, I2 = 37%], satisfaction[SMD = 0.01, 95%CI (-0.79, 0.80), p=0.99, I2 = 86%], confidence[SMD = 0.00, 95%CI (-0.28, 0.27), p=0.99, I2 = 0%], and performance time[SMD = -0.55, 95%CI (-2.04, 0.94), p=0.47, I2 = 97%].

Conclusions:

The results of this study suggests that VR can effectively improve knowledge in nursing education, but it had no better effects on skills, satisfaction, confidence and performance time when compared with other education methods. But further meticulous studies with large sample size are warranted to prove the existing results.