Examining the Perceptions Among Undergraduate Nursing Students Using Virtual Reality in a Community Course: A Mixed-Methods Explanatory Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study investigated undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions of integrating virtual reality (VR) technology into a community nursing course, specifically home and environmental patient safety assessments.

Design

This study used a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory design.

Methods

Participants were recruited from a community health course. The students engaged in a VR simulation involving home visits using the vizHome platform. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were collected through Qualtrics and secure Zoom connections for the interviews. The data were analyzed with SPSS and MAXQDA.

Findings

The results indicated that participants perceived VR as valuable and easy to use for learning home assessment skills. The System Usability Scale (SUS) score revealed room for improvement. Technical limitations were identified as challenges that must be addressed to enhance the user experience.

Conclusion

Participants acknowledged VR’s potential to supplement traditional learning methods, providing safe and realistic exposure to diverse home environments. While VR was seen as beneficial, it was not considered a replacement for actual home visits in community nursing education.

Clinical evidence

This study provided clinical teaching evidence on the usability and student perceptions of VR in community courses.

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflicts of interest to disclose. This work received funding from an internal grant to promote undergraduate research (ADVANCE grant-UL Lafayette).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette [Internal Advance Grant].