Abstract
Background: Pediatric emergencies are characterized by their unpredictability and complexity, yet opportunities for direct clinical exposure remain limited for undergraduate nursing students. This gap poses challenges to the development of clinical judgment and rapid response competencies.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine how the integration of immersive simulation and inquiry-based learning enhances nursing students’ learning outcomes and shapes their experiences in managing pediatric emergency scenarios, using a simulated child seizure event as the core exemplar.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 nursing students who had completed the instructional intervention. Data were collected through focus group interviews. The teaching activity utilized virtual reality (VR) to construct an immersive pediatric seizure scenario, supplemented with inquiry-based and problem-based discussions to facilitate clinical reasoning, knowledge integration, and decision-making.
Results: Data analysis identified six major themes: (1) strengthened clinical reasoning and situational response abilities; (2) a safe, low-pressure environment that enhanced willingness to participate; (3) repeated practice and real-time feedback that increased skill familiarity and confidence; (4) heightened motivation and engagement through innovative instructional design; (5) limitations of VR in expressing emotional interactions and subtle clinical cues despite high immersion; and (6) challenges related to technological operation and system stability.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that immersive simulation combined with inquiry-based learning holds promise for improving nursing students’ clinical readiness, situational awareness, and integrative thinking, especially when real-world clinical opportunities are restricted. Future efforts should focus on optimizing VR system usability and interactivity to further enhance its educational effectiveness in nursing training.
Notes
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This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Republic of China (MOE-113-TPRMN-M104-001Y1) grant in Taiwan
References:
Brown, K. M., Swoboda, S. M., Gilbert, G. E., Horvath, C., & Sullivan, N. (2023). Curricular integration of virtual reality in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 62(6), 364-373.
Choi, J., Thompson, C. E., Choi, J., Waddill, C. B., & Choi, S. (2022). Effectiveness of immersive virtual reality in nursing education: systematic review. Nurse Educator, 47(3), E57-E61.
Gao, X., Wang, L., Deng, J., Wan, C., & Mu, D. (2022). The effect of the problem based learning teaching model combined with mind mapping on nursing teaching: A meta-analysis. Nurse Education Today, 111, 105306.
Fink, A. M., & Martyn-Nemeth, P. (2023). Socratic inquiry, syllogism, schematic cases, and symbolism: Critical thinking strategies for nursing Education. Nurse Educator, 48(3), 125-130.
Sigma Membership
Lambda Beta at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Phenomenology
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Virtual Learning, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Competence, Clinical Competence, Nursing Students, Pediatric Emergencies, Experiential Learning
Recommended Citation
Lan, Hsiang-Yun; Liaw, Jen-Jiuan; Tsai, Yu-Lun; Lin, Chen-Xi; Lin, Chiao-Hsuan; and Chen, Pao-Ju, "Nursing Students’ Experiences with Immersive Pediatric Emergency Learning" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 157.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/157
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-18
Nursing Students’ Experiences with Immersive Pediatric Emergency Learning
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Pediatric emergencies are characterized by their unpredictability and complexity, yet opportunities for direct clinical exposure remain limited for undergraduate nursing students. This gap poses challenges to the development of clinical judgment and rapid response competencies.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine how the integration of immersive simulation and inquiry-based learning enhances nursing students’ learning outcomes and shapes their experiences in managing pediatric emergency scenarios, using a simulated child seizure event as the core exemplar.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 nursing students who had completed the instructional intervention. Data were collected through focus group interviews. The teaching activity utilized virtual reality (VR) to construct an immersive pediatric seizure scenario, supplemented with inquiry-based and problem-based discussions to facilitate clinical reasoning, knowledge integration, and decision-making.
Results: Data analysis identified six major themes: (1) strengthened clinical reasoning and situational response abilities; (2) a safe, low-pressure environment that enhanced willingness to participate; (3) repeated practice and real-time feedback that increased skill familiarity and confidence; (4) heightened motivation and engagement through innovative instructional design; (5) limitations of VR in expressing emotional interactions and subtle clinical cues despite high immersion; and (6) challenges related to technological operation and system stability.
Conclusion: Findings suggest that immersive simulation combined with inquiry-based learning holds promise for improving nursing students’ clinical readiness, situational awareness, and integrative thinking, especially when real-world clinical opportunities are restricted. Future efforts should focus on optimizing VR system usability and interactivity to further enhance its educational effectiveness in nursing training.
Description
This study examined immersive VR simulation combined with inquiry-based learning in pediatric emergency nursing education. Twelve nursing students reported improved clinical reasoning, confidence, motivation, and readiness within a supportive environment, while noting limitations in VR realism and technical stability.