Effectiveness of a Virtual Hospital Experience Game for Nursing Students’ Patient Safety Learning: A Quasi-Randomized Trial

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a virtual hospital experience game designed to enhance patient safety learning among first-year nursing students, focusing on knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and willingness to promote patient safety. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed. The virtual hospital experience game, developed using the Analysis-Design-Develop-Implement-Evaluate model, focused on outpatient orthopedic care and included 3 interactive scenarios. Participants included 55 first-year nursing students (experimental group = 29; control group = 26). The experimental group engaged in the virtual hospital experience game, while the control group received standard patient safety education. Outcomes were measured at pre-test, post-test, and 2-week follow-up using validated scales. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustment. Results: A significant Time × Group interaction was found for patient safety knowledge ( F = 4.56, p = .023, η p 2 = 0.079), with the experimental group showing significant improvement from pre-test ( M = 22.10; SD = 2.90) to post-test ( M = 24.41; SD = 1.59; p < .001), sustained at follow-up ( M = 24.72; SD = 1.73; p = .552). The control group showed no significant changes. For attitude toward patient safety, confidence in patient safety promotion, and willingness to participate in patient safety promotion, significant main effects of time were observed, but no significant Group × Time interaction effects were found. Conclusions: The virtual hospital experience game was effective in enhancing nursing students’ patient safety knowledge and sustained behavioral intention. Future studies should apply these interventions to diverse scenarios and integrate them into nursing curricula for greater impact.