Nursing students’ experiences in virtual simulation teaching: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research

Aim: This study is aimed to explore nursing students' experiences in virtual simulation (VS) teaching and further identify the challenges and needs they encounter. Design: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Methods: Nine databases including PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wangfang Data, VIP, and CBM were searched from each database's inception to February 7, 2025. Studies were critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Qualitative data were extracted, summarized, and meta-synthesized. Results: A total of 17 research studies from eight countries were included in the meta-synthesis. Sixty-five main themes and 156 sub-themes were extracted, which were eventually integrated into nine categories and four themes: (1) emotional experiences; (2) advantages of VS teaching; (3) challenges of VS teaching; (4) students' needs for VS teaching. Conclusion: VS technology demonstrates significant advantages in enhancing clinical practice skills. However, future development of VS devices should prioritize simplifying interactive designs to lower operational barriers and explore multimodal feedback mechanisms to improve the realism of virtual patients. Additionally, developing case libraries with diverse scenarios and multilingual support to enhance the richness and practicality of teaching.