Effect of Virtual Reality-based Isolation Patient Infection Control Education Program

This study aims to identify the effect of a virtual reality (VR)-based isolation patient infection control education program on nursing students' infection control knowledge, awareness, and performance confidence. This research design was a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test research design. The participants were 55 nursing students (experimental group 28, control group 27). Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, the independent t-tests, and paired t-tests with SPSS version 27.0. The VR content included hand hygiene, donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE), post-exposure prophylaxis of sharps injury, and disposal of medical waste. The experimental group showed significantly improved in infection control knowledge (t=3.117, p=.003) and performance confidence (t=3.059, p=.004) than the control group,. However, after applying the education program, awareness of the control group showed a more significant change. This VR-based isolation patient infection control education program for nursing students can help increase competency in infection control practice.