Impact of virtual reality on performance among undergraduate healthcare professionals: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACTIn recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) has been increasingly used to train healthcare professionals. However, certain aspects of its application, such as the relationship between VR environments, training, and Sense of Presence (SoP), have yet to be explored. SoP impacts learners’ performances in certain learning situations, whereas in others, it does not. This study aimed to investigate the impact of VR, including SoP, on immersive mass incident simulation performances. A cross-sectional study was performed by immersing 83 undergraduate students (ambulance attendants, student nurses, and medical students) in a VR simulation. Questionnaires were administered before, during, and after the simulation to assess variables impacting non-technical skills. The results revealed that SoP was not associated with performance (P = 0.66). However, performance was associated with the learners’ perceptions of the VR environment (P = 0.008). Therefore, the impact of environmental perception on performance should be considered, allowing instructors to promote optimal training in VR. Moreover, SoP may impact performance in certain types of learning, like emotional skills training. Thus, VR should be chosen as a simulation modality to encourage reflexivity through rapid feedback and learning skills in the affective domain.KEYWORDS: Numerical simulationaptitudedisaster medicineteachingeducation Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe author(s) report that no funding was associated with the work featured in this article.Notes on contributorsSabrina ChevalierSabrina Chevalier, MSc, RN: Mrs Chevalier works as nurse in intensive care unit. She is a nurse with a specialization in intensive care and urgent medical assistance and a master’s degree in public health. She is also certified to work as a simulation instructor. She is an assistant at the University of Liege in the master’s in science of nursing. Mrs Chevalier has started a PhD on simulation in the master’s in science of nursing.Méryl PaquayMéryl Paquay, MSc, RNCC, RN: Mrs Paquay works as a quality and safety care manager. She is a nurse with a specialization in community health and a master’s degree in public health. She is also certified to work as a simulation instructor. Mrs Paquay is finalizing her PhD on patient safety and clinical debriefings. Her area of expertize covers topics related to hospital management, patient safety and the impact of the work environment on the quality of care.Jonathan GoffoyJonathan Goffoy, MSc, RN: Mr Goffoy works as nurse perfusionist in the operating room. He is a nurse with a specialization in intensive care and urgent medical assistance and a master’s degree in public health. He is also certified to work as a simulation instructor. He is working on various research projects in the Simulation Center of Liège.Jean-Christophe ServotteJean-Christophe Servotte, PhD, MSc, RN: Dr Servotte is a teacher-researcher in the paramedical department of Henallux. He is a nurse with a specialization in intensive care and urgent medical assistance and a master’s degree in public health. His doctoral thesis is entitled ‘Contribution to the understanding of the impact of different simulation modalities on health learning’. Today he is a simulation trainer and research project manager.Samuel StipulanteSamuel Stipulante, PhD, MSc, RN: He is a nurse with a specialization in intensive care and urgent medical assistance and a master’s degree in public health. His doctoral thesis is in the field of cardiorespiratory arrest. Since 2007, he has been in charge of the Centre de Secours 112 in Liège. He is a professor in the Master in science in nursing at the University of Liege. He is the promoter of several doctoral theses, notably in the field of advanced practice nurses.Alexandre GhuysenAlexandre Ghuysen, MD, PhD qualified as medical doctor from the Liège University in 1992, trained in internal medicine in 1997 and emergency medicine in 1999, and PhD in Biomedical and experimental science in 2006. He has been the promoter of several PhD thesis, notably in the field of emergency and acute care medicine. At present, he is both professor at Liège University where he teaches acute care medicine, Head of the Center for Medical Simulation at the same University and Head of the Emergency Department at CHU Liège.