Adoption of Augmented Reality into educational program for nurses in Intensive Care Unit in Tertiary Academic Hospitals (Preprint)

Abstract

In the wake of challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic to conventional medical education, the demand for innovative teaching methods has surged. Nurse training, with its focus on hands-on practice and self-directed learning, encountered significant hurdles with conventional approaches. This study explores the Augmented Reality (AR), as a potential solution.

The study introduces an AR-based educational program designed for nurses, emphasizing its potential in facilitating hands-on practice and self-directed learning.

This study introduced an AR-based educational program for nursing, anchored by Kern's six-step framework. First, we identified challenges in conventional teaching through interviews and literature reviews. Needs assessment highlighted a requirement for hands on practice, self-directed learning with remote feedback. Emphasizing high-risk or complex equipment, our goals were set by trainers and researchers. For educational strategies, we chose AR technology and established training program. Implementation saw voluntary enrollment by intensive care nurses. Post-education, evaluations covered usability and acceptability using the SUS and TAM, with some participants delving deeper in semi-structured interviews.

This study evaluated the efficacy and acceptability of an Augmented Reality (AR) based educational program for intensive care unit nurses, focusing on ECMO and ventilator devices. Implemented over two months using Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Guides and HoloLens 2, twenty-eight participants were trained. Feedback, gathered through the System Usability Scale (SUS) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as well as in-depth interviews, indicated a positive reception. Participants found AR beneficial for hands-on learning, valuing its realism and repeatability. However, some challenges, such as adapting to new technology, were expressed. Overall, AR exhibits potential as a supplementary tool in nurse education.

To our knowledge, this is the first study to substituting conventional methods with AR in this specific area of critical care nursing. The results accentuated AR's strength in promoting self-directed learning and hands-on practice, with participants displaying active engagement and enhanced skill acquisition. However, limitations such as a confined sample size and a brief trial period necessitate further investigation. The study underscores AR's potential as a groundbreaking tool in critical care nursing education, but more extensive evaluations are needed to solidify its efficacy in comparison to conventional teaching methods.

The trial registration number for our study is NCT05629663.