Modeling Educator Use of Virtual Reality Simulations in Nursing Education Using Epistemic Network Analysis

摘要

Simulations are widely adopted in undergraduate nursing education because they offer low-risk, experiential ways to expose pre-licensure students to clinical environments, and to situate the development of requisite knowledge and skills for patient care. Virtual reality (VR) simulations present novel opportunities for clinical education. Research in this area is burgeoning around questions related to perception about VR modality, adoption of the technology, and educational outcomes VR simulations can help facilitate. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of epistemic network analysis (ENA), a quantitative ethnography (QE) technique, to model how one nursing educator facilitated clinical judgment, and nurtured quality and safety education for nurses' competencies through the use of the Simulation Leaning System with Virtual Reality (SLS with VR). We modeled the discourse obtained from three simulation sessions in October and November 2020, all involving a fundamentals scenario requiring second-year nursing students to practice basic assessment and care management. Our work aims to advance research in healthcare education, particularly nursing education, using immersive learning environments by way of applying theory-backed learning analytic techniques.