Effect of Using Virtual Reality Technology on Preoperative Anxiety in Pediatrics: An Evidence-Based Practice Initiative

Anxiety is a common preoperative occurrence in children having surgery, and it can compromise surgical results, have long-term psychological effects, and lead to future healthcare challenges. In the surgical setting, preoperative anxiety is frequently treated with a combination of pharmaceutical and nonpharmacological interventions. One nonpharmacological approach is the use of virtual reality (VR), a computer-generated environment accessed by headset or goggles. This evidence-based practice initiative utilized VR goggles to address the question: to what degree would previous research on virtual reality distraction in the preoperative area and in the operating room impact preoperative anxiety levels among pediatric patients undergoing surgery at an outpatient surgery center? A preoperative registered nurse assessed and scored the patient for preoperative anxiety utilizing the modified Yale preoperative anxiety scale (mYPAS) tool while a certified registered nurse anesthetist intraoperatively obtained a second mYPAS score. The findings demonstrated how VR goggles utilized preoperatively and intraoperatively improved patients' anxiety with innovative technology indicating that results were clinically and statistically significant.