Integrated Evaluation of an Augmented Reality-Based Radiation Protection Education Program for Nursing Students

Background: Radiation plays a vital role in medical diagnosis and treatment.However, insufficient radiation protection education poses serious risks to patients and healthcare professionals.Nursing students often have limited formal training, and traditional lecture-based methods foster passive learning, which may not promote deep understanding.Augmented reality (AR) technology offers a novel approach by overlaying digital models onto real-world images, enabling students to intuitively visualize abstract concepts such as time, distance, and shielding.This study was conducted to evaluate an AR-based radiation protection application integrated with conventional lectures to enhance the knowledge of nursing students and calibrate their perceptions of radiation safety. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional, pre-post-intervention study was conducted at Tokyo Metropolitan University among 80 second-year nursing students (95% female) without prior radiation safety training.The intervention comprised two phases: a standardized 90-minute lecture covering the nature and biological effects of ionizing radiation and the principles of time, distance, and shielding; and a hands-on AR session using an android-based application that overlays a three-dimensional model of scattered radiation dose onto a live camera view, demonstrating exposure effects.Radiation knowledge was assessed using a 50-item questionnaire, and risk perception was measured using a 30-item, seven-point Likert scale.Data in this study were analyzed using nonparametric tests and compared with reference data.Results and Discussion: Post-intervention knowledge scores were significantly higher than pre-intervention and reference scores (p<0.05).Additionally, risk perception ratings for 'nuclear power' and 'X-ray' decreased by one rank, suggesting a more balanced and realistic evaluation of risks. Conclusion:Integrating AR with traditional lectures significantly improves radiation protection knowledge and risk assessment among nursing students, supporting the promising role of AR in healthcare education.Future research should include longitudinal follow-up and explore AR features, such as dose simulation.