JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Having Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLs) skills is essential for nurses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, augmented reality (AR) technologies were incorporated into medical education to increase learning motivation and accessibility.

Objective:

To determine whether using augmented reality for educational applications can significantly improve first aid cart learning, learning motivation, cognitive load, and system usability, with a focus on the subgroup of nurses with less than two years of experience.

Methods:

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in a medical center in southern Taiwan. An ACLs cart training course was developed using augmented reality (AR) technologies in the first stage. Additionally, the efficacy of the developed ACLs training course was evaluated. The AR group used a first aid cart learning system developed with AR technology, while the control group received traditional lecture-based instruction. Both groups were evaluated immediately after the course. Performance was assessed through learning outcomes related to overall ACLS and first aid cart usage. The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS), System Usability Scale (SUS), and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) questionnaire were also used to assess secondary outcomes in the AR group. Subgroup analyses were performed for nurses with less than two years of experience.

Results:

All of 102 nurses completed the course, with 43 nurses in the AR group and 59 nurses in the control group. The AR group outperformed the control group regarding overall ACLs outcomes and first aid cart learning outcomes (P = .002; P = .011). Especially for new staff, regardless of the overall learning effect and the first aid cart effect, the improvement rate is the largest. Subgroup analysis revealed that nurses with less than two years of experience in the AR group showed significantly greater improvements in both overall learning (P < .001) and first aid cart outcomes (P < .001) compared to their counterparts in the control group. For nurses with more than two years of experience, no significant differences were found between the AR and control groups in post-learning outcomes for the first aid cart (P = .317). The AR group demonstrated high scores for motivation (IMMS = 141.65 ± 19.25), system usability (SUS = 90.47 ± 11.91), and low cognitive load (CLT = 15.42 ± 5.76).

Conclusions:

AR-based learning significantly improves ACLS knowledge and skills, especially for nurses with less experience, compared to traditional methods. The high usability and motivational benefits of AR suggest its potential for broader applications in nursing education. Clinical Trial: NCT06057285, 09/20/2023, Retrospectively registered.