A pilot randomised controlled trial to assess the nursing students' learning outcomes of the urinary catheterisation procedure by comparing the immersive virtual reality (IVR) to traditional lab sessions.
Design: A pilot randomised controlled trial was employed to assess the learning outcomes of the urinary catheterisation procedure by comparing the immersive virtual reality (IVR) intervention to traditional lab sessions. Eligibility: Second-year undergraduate nursing students (n = 200) enrolled into the module NUR2125 (Pathophysiology, Pharmacology and Nursing Practice II) were invited to participate in the study. Setting: The study was conducted at a university in Singapore from January to April 2023. Procedure: Ten lab groups of second-year undergraduate nursing students were invited to participate in the study. They received the standard blended learning activities, which included clinical lab sessions and videos on the urinary catheterisation procedure. Out of the ten groups, four groups were randomly allocated to the IVR intervention group, and another four groups were randomly assigned to the waitlist control group (traditional lab sessions). 1. For the intervention group (IVR), the students used the IVR device for practice in class under the supervision of their tutor. They then loaned the IVR device for two weeks for home practice. 2. For the waitlist control group (traditional lab sessions), they learned and practiced the urinary catheterisation procedure in class. Students received the additional intervention (using the IVR device for home practice) after the collection of post-test data. Data collection: Prior to lab practice, each participant completed a demographic survey and a set of pre-test questionnaires on personality inventory, cognitive load, and representation of VR in education. Only students who voluntarily joined the programme were recruited into the study. The participants completed the post-test questionnaires in March 2023 prior to their formative clinical assessment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
93
Using immersive virtual reality to learn urinary catheterisation procedure
Using nursing clinical laboratory sessions to learn urinary catheterisation procedure
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies
Singapore, Singapore
Cognitive Load
The Cognitive Load Scale (CLS) was adapted from Leppink et al. (2013) and analyses the level of working memory resources needed to process information. It consists of 10 items that are rated on an 11-point scale (0 = Not at all the case to 10 = Completely the case). Items 1 to 3 relate to intrinsic load, items 4 to 6 fall under extraneous load, and items 7 to 10 are associated with germane load. Responses are added to give a total score for each subscale, which ranges from 0 (lowest) to 30 or 40 (highest) in the case of the germane load subscale. Higher total scores indicate more working memory resources required to process the information load under different conditions.
Time frame: 3 months
Clinical skill competency
To evaluate the skills competency, the nursing students were assessed by their tutors using a competency assessment tool based on the skills checklist. Within the checklist, it determined the performance of the participants on completing the procedural steps on a 10-point scale (0-3 = Need improvement, 4-6 = Meet expectation, 7-9 = Exceed expectation), which was computed into a percentage score. Higher scores indicate a higher competency level in conducting the urinary catheterization procedure.
Time frame: 3 months
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