Awareness, Current Educational State and Educational Requirements of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality among Nursing Students

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the awareness, current educational status, and educational requirements of the nursing students regarding virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Methods: A total 307 nursing students were included in this study using an online survey. Questionnaires were made to investigate the awareness of VR and AR. The final scale consisted of thirteen items and its validity and reliability were verified. Among the 203 nursing institution, 162 institutions were surveyed regarding education for VR and AR. Results: Among the participants, 99.7% knew about VR and AR, 83.7% had direct experiences, and 17.3% had made relative purchases. The awareness of VR and AR was about 4.35±0.73 (maximum scale of 6). Most participants thought that it would be favorable to use VR and AR for educational purposes in classes once or twice a week. Of the 162 nursing institutions, 30 invested in related facilities, and 13 invested in education in the form of cultural studies, lectures, or programs. Conclusion: The awareness of VR and AR among nursing students was positive and showed need for future education adoption. However, the current educational infrastructure is lacking. Therefore, there is a need to develop relevant educational programs in the future.