Effect of virtual reality on cannulation-related procedural pain, distress, and comfort level in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled study

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of virtual reality on procedural pain, distress, and comfort levels during cannulation in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This randomized controlled study included 52 patients who were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received virtual reality glasses during the procedure in addition to standard routine care, while the control group received standard routine care only. Data were collected using a Descriptive Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale, the Distress Thermometer, and the Hemodialysis Comfort Scale. Statistical analysis was performed with the level of significance set at p < 0.05 Results: Following arteriovenous fistula cannulation, the median pain and distress scores in the intervention group were found to be statistically significantly lower than those in the control group ( p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding patients’ comfort levels after the procedure ( p = 0.75). Conclusion: Based on these findings, nurses can recommend virtual reality during arteriovenous fistula cannulation as a simple, cost-effective, and evidence-based non-pharmacological method for managing procedural pain.