Effects of virtual reality training on clinical skill performance in nursing students: A systematic review, meta‐analysis and meta‐regression

Abstract Aims This review examined the impact of virtual reality (VR) training on nursing students' clinical skill performance and identified essential features of VR training. Background VR provides immersive content, simulating real‐life scenarios and preventing errors in clinical settings. Design This systematic review and meta‐analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Data sources Studies were obtained from Ovid‐EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PubMed. Review methods Studies related to VR training published from 1 January 2000 to 8 May 2024 were included. Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis 4.0 software was used for meta‐analysis and random effects meta‐regression. The overall effect was assessed with Hedges' g and Z ‐statistics ( p < 0.05). Heterogeneity was measured using I ‐squared ( I 2 ) statistics. Results Among the 31 476 studies, 11 randomized controlled trial studies were included. Meta‐analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in clinical skill performance, with a medium to large effect ( g = 0.61) in the VR group ( Z = 3.80, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses highlighted higher nursing skills in the VR training topic. Meta‐regression revealed that the VR training topic ( β = 1.23, p < 0.001) and method of VR training ( β = −0.53, p = 0.05) were significant covariates influencing clinical skill performance. Conclusion VR training improves nursing students' clinical skill performance, addressing shortcomings in the clinical practicum.