Effects of a Virtual Reality Simulation and a Blended Simulation of Care for Pediatric Patient with Asthma

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a virtual reality simulation and a blended simulation on nursing care for children with asthma through an evaluation of critical thinking, problem-solving processes, and clinical performance in both education groups before and after the educational intervention. Methods The participants were 48 nursing students. The experimental group (n=22) received a blended simulation, combining a virtual reality simulation and a high-fidelity simulation, while the control group (n=26) received only a virtual reality simulation. Data were collected from February 25 to 28, 2019 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 for Windows. Results The pretest and posttest results of each group showed statistically significant improvements in critical thinking, problem-solving processes, and clinical performance. In a comparison of the results of the two education groups, the only statistically significant difference was found for critical thinking. Conclusion Simulation-based education in child nursing has continued to involve high-fidelity simulations that are currently run in many programs. However, incorporating a new type of blended simulation, combining a virtual reality simulation and a high-fidelity simulation, into the nursing curriculum may contribute to the further development of nursing education. Key words: 시뮬레이션; 간호학생; 가상현실 시뮬레이션; 블렌디드 러닝; 아동 간호 Key words: Patient simulation; Nursing students; Virtual reality; Computer user training; Pediatric nursing