JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In recent years, with the rapid development of computer science and medical science, virtual reality (VR) technology provides advanced technical support for innovating the methods of nursing professional skills training. Research on VR-based nursing professional skills training education has garned increasing attention.

Objective:

This study aimed to demonstrate the current status and research hot pots, and emerging trends of VR in nursing professional skills training over the past 15 years.

Methods:

The Web of Science Core Collection database were searched for literature on VR in nursing professional skills training published from 2006 to 2022. All records were imported into the biblioshiny web program and converted to bibliometrix RData for subsequent analysis. R software was used for a descriptive bibliometric analysis and create a matrix comprising all documents. VOSviewer software was used for the visual analysis of key words clustering co-occurrence. Scimago Graphica software was used for the geographic visualization of published countries or regions.

Results:

A total of 1073 papers were included. In recent years, research on the application of VR in nursing professional skills training has been widely conducted, and the annual publication of relevant literature has shown a positive trend. Most studies were published in the USA（340）and Canada（107），where Verkuyl M ranks first (9 publications). The most frequently cited reference was “Computerized virtual patients in health professions education: a systematic review and meta-analysis”. The most common keywords used by researchers include “Education,” “Simulation ,” “Skills,” “Students,” and “Care.”

Conclusions:

The bibliometric analysis provided an overview of the application of VR in nursing professional skills training. VR-based nursing professional skills training education can be used into improve the nursing professional skill levels of nurses and nursing students. In conclusion, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of VR-based distance education is crucial, and there are still many problems that need to be solved, such as virtual and real combined application effect and the existence of safety hazards.