Virtual reality for experiential learning: enhancing agitation management skills, confidence, and empathy in healthcare students

Agitation in healthcare, particularly in psychiatric settings, is a prevalent and escalating global concern. Despite its significance, healthcare students often feel underprepared to manage agitation, citing fear, stigma, and limited clinical exposure. Traditional teaching methods, such as lectures or simulations, are resource-intensive and offer limited opportunities for repeated practice in low-risk environments. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising alternative, providing immersive, standardised, and repeatable training for high-stress clinical scenarios. In response, the education team at [redacted for peer review], developed the Managing AGgression using Immersive Content (MAGIC) programme. This three-hour blended learning workshop, a mandatory component of the psychiatry curriculum for medical and nursing students, integrates didactic teaching, role-play, and the Virtual Reality in Agitation Management (VRAM) activity. Through experiential learning, MAGIC aims to enhance healthcare students’ confidence, empathy, mental health literacy, and competence in managing agitation in psychiatric healthcare settings. Using a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design, we evaluated the programme’s effectiveness among 152 medical and nursing students. Results demonstrated significant improvements in mental health literacy, self-perceived proficiency, and confidence in managing agitated patients; there was also a marked reduction in stigma towards individuals with mental health conditions. In addition, participants responded positively to all aspects of the VRAM software, underscoring its usability and educational value. These findings highlight the potential of integrating immersive VR technology with traditional pedagogical methods to transform healthcare education by fostering deeper engagement, enhancing clinical competence, and ultimately improving patient outcomes.