Training nursing skills in a generative artificial intelligence-enhanced virtual reality patient encounter simulation: a qualitative study from a student perspective

Educators in nursing education have been exploring and applying various approaches to developing students’ nursing skills. These approaches include lecturing, live demonstrations, role-playing, human standardized patients, virtual reality (VR) simulations, etc. However, the impact of integrating the recently emerging generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology into VR simulations on the development of students’ nursing skills has not been fully explored due to its novelty and the constrained timeframe available for comprehensive research. This study examines nursing students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of and learning experiences during a GenAI-enhanced VR patient encounter simulation in developing clinical skills. A total of 23 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study. Each of them had an individual interview with the researchers. Students reported positive learning experiences during the simulation. They believed that this type of simulated practice was effective. However, they also identified limitations in the current system, including technical issues and difficulty with empathy building. Implications of these findings are discussed.