The Use of Virtual Reality in Clinical Education to Improve Competency: A Literature Review

Background: Clinical simulations play a crucial role in nursing education, allowing for the development of important skills in a secure setting. With the use of virtual or augmented reality technology, students can perform tasks and be immersed in real-life scenarios. This gives students a chance to better develop skills, including communication and compassion along with hands-on skills. Despite the advancements, virtual reality remains significantly underused in nursing education. This technology has the potential to enhance nursing interventions within a controlled setting, ensuring the safety of both patients and students. Purpose: To examine the viability of using virtual reality curriculum to improve competency. Methods: Fourteen articles were reviewed using Covidence for inclusion. Results: A virtual reality curriculum may be a useful addition to authentic learning for improving competency. Implications: Virtual reality technology can enhance a students’ comprehension of topics through stimuli organism-response (SOR) and provide exposure to real-world scenarios in a secure and controlled environment.