The effects of virtual gaming simulation on nursing students? diagnosis, goal setting, and diagnosis prioritization: A randomized controlled trial*

Background: Virtual gaming simulation is a 2D computer game used to enhance the knowledge and skills of nursing students.Objectives: This research was conducted to investigate the effects of virtual gaming simulation on the nursing diagnosis, goal setting and diagnosis prioritization of first-year nursing students.Design: Randomized controlled trial conducted between March and April 2022. Participants: In this study, 102 first-year nursing students registered in Fundamentals of Nursing-II were included. The students were divided at random into two groups: control (n = 51) and intervention (n = 51).Method: Data were collected using the descriptive characteristics form, nursing diagnosis, goal setting, diagnosis prioritization form, virtual evaluation simulation and virtual gaming simulation evaluation form. Didactic training in the nursing process was provided to all students in the classroom simultaneously. The day following the didactic training, the training scenario was explained to the control group in the classroom. On the same day, a simulation of the virtual training scenario developed for the intervention group was played in the computer lab. One week later, the control group completed the nursing diagnosis, goal setting and diagnosis prioritization form prepared for the evaluation scenario in the classroom and the intervention group played the virtual evaluation simulation that was developed based on the same case on the same day in the computer lab. Then, students' opinions regarding virtual gaming simulation were obtained. Results: The findings showed that the mean scores of nursing diagnosis and goal-setting knowledge of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between the groups regarding the mean scores of diagnosis prioritization knowledge (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Virtual gaming simulation increased the mean scores of nursing diagnosis and goal-setting knowledge of the students. Most of the students stated positive statements related to virtual gaming simulations.