Türkiye’de erişkinlerde sanal gerçeklik kullanımının ağrı yönetimi üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendiren hemşirelik tezlerinin sistematik incelenmesi

Introduction and Purpose: Pain is considered the fifth vital sign that needs to be diagnosed and reduced through appropriate nursing interventions. In recent years, virtual reality, a non-pharmacological method increasingly used in pain management, has attracted significant attention in nursing research due to its immersive, engaging, and multi-sensory experiences. This review was conducted to systematically examine nursing graduate theses evaluating the effects of virtual reality on pain management in adults.Method: Using the advanced search option of the National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education, graduate nursing theses completed between 2010 and 2023 were retrospectively screened with the keywords “virtual reality, nurse, virtual reality headset, pain.” A total of 7 doctoral and 11 master’s theses that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study.Results: An analysis of the general characteristics of the reviewed theses indicated that most nursing research on the effects of virtual reality applications in pain management among adults was conducted in 2020 and later. Participants in the intervention group reported lower levels of pain and anxiety following virtual reality applications compared to the control group, along with positive changes in physiological parameters such as pulse, blood pressure, and respiration.Conclusion: Nursing theses in Turkey have highlighted that the use of virtual reality reduces pain levels and that this technology is being increasingly adopted. It is recommended that future studies involve larger sample groups.