Effect of a game-based virtual reality phone application on tracheostomy care education for nursing students: A randomized controlled trial

Background: A game-based virtual reality phone application is used as a simulation to teach psychomotor skills in nursing education. Objective: This study aims at determining the effect of a game-based virtual reality phone application on tracheostomy care education for nursing students. Design: Single-blind randomized controlled trial conducted from March-April 2017. Setting: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Central Anatolia of Turkey. Participants: A total of 86 first-year nursing students registered in Fundamentals of Nursing-II were included in this study. The students were divided at random into two groups, control (n = 43) and experimental (n = 43). Method: The data were collected with an informative features form, a tracheostomy care knowledge test and skill checklists, and a performance assessment form. The control group commenced the study first so that the students did not affect each other. After the students completed the theoretical class, laboratory class, and small group study, they had their knowledge test and skills evaluation. The application featured tracheostomy care and was designed in support of formal education. It was uploaded to the mobile phones of the experimental group at a different phase of the study from the control group. After the experimental group made use of this application for seven days, their last knowledge test and skills evaluation were conducted. Results: The results of this study determined that the suctioning a tracheostomy tube and peristomal skin care average final test scores of the students in the experiment group were higher than the average scores of the students in the control group; this was statistically significant (p = 0.017, p = 0.003). Conclusion: The game-based virtual reality phone application was effective in teaching the skill of suctioning a tracheostomy tube for nursing students in the short term, and it is recommended that this application be used in psychomotor skill training.