Paramedic PapersHome Education & training VR adds little to CPR simulation training
Education & training
VR adds little to CPR simulation training
Effectiveness of immersive virtual reality in undergraduate nursing students for cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: A randomized controlled trial
Nurse Education Today · Added 10 September 2026
RCT of 246 undergraduate nursing students testing immersive VR plus manikin simulation against manikin simulation alone for CPR group training — no significant difference in self-confidence or CPR group performance after cluster adjustment, though students rated VR higher on satisfaction and usability, and 33.6% reported dizziness and 19% headaches from headsets.
- Study type
- RCT
- Design
- Cluster-adjusted randomised controlled trial
- Participants
- 246 undergraduate nursing students
- Main finding
- No significant difference in self-confidence (adjusted effect 0.02, p=0.974) or CPR group performance (adjusted effect 0.56, p=0.153) with immersive VR plus manikin vs manikin alone; 33.6% reported dizziness and 19% headaches
- Caveat
- Nursing students in group CPR training, not practising paramedics; 19% adverse symptoms
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). Nursing-student education data, but directly relevant to ambulance service CPR training programs weighing up VR — the headline is hands-on sim alone did just as well
Learning goal
Weigh the benefits and harms of immersive virtual reality when choosing resuscitation training methods for my professional development.
More
- Topic: Education & training
- Daily scan: 10 September 2026
Related papers on Education & training
-
CONOCES-BLS scale adapted for citizens
Spanish methodological study adapting the CONOCES-BLS knowledge scale for adult laypersons via Delphi expert consensus and pilot testing — content validity was strong (expert agreement above 0.90 on every item, Krippendorff coefficients 0.91–1.0) and internal consistency adequate (Cronbach's alpha 0.82), supporting its use for assessing community BLS knowledge pending further psychometric work.
-
Knowledge gaps in local anaesthetic dosing and LAST
Multicentre survey of 114 emergency clinicians across three Queensland EDs — fewer than half correctly identified the recommended maximum dose for any of four local anaesthetics, 21.9% couldn't recall any features of LAST, and only 10.5% could state the lipid emulsion dosing regimen.
-
Kigali mass casualty training lifts knowledge
Quasi-experimental pre–post study of a two-part mass casualty training curriculum (asynchronous video modules plus a half-day simulation) for 41 emergency providers and community first responders in Kigali — mean knowledge scores rose significantly after training and remained above baseline at 3- and 6-month follow-up, with significant confidence gains across key MCI skills.
-
Big shift to online EMS continuing education
Retrospective analysis of 19.3 million CE completions showed post-pandemic shift to online formats, with asynchronous distributive learning increasing 209% and interactive gaming courses increasing 915%.