An interventional study of Virtual Reality Simulation in Clinical Decision Making, sponsored by Istanbul Arel University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 23 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-23.
Sponsored by Istanbul Arel University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of VRS on decision-making skills, self-confidence levels, and anxiety of psychiatric nursing students. Students participating in the study will be divided into two groups: intervention and control groups. VRS, which includes a scenario of a patient with schizophrenia, will be applied to the intervention group at the beginning of the academic term, before students start clinical practice, and in the middle of the term. The control group will be subjected to theoretical courses and clinical practice. Data will be collected using the Clinical Decision-Making, Self-Confidence, and Anxiety Scale, Personal Information Form, and Modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool. Measurements will be performed at three time points: before the simulation, in the middle of the academic term, and at the end of the academic term. In addition, debriefing sessions will be held with students participating in VRS in groups of 4-5 within the scope of the simulation process. It is expected that the findings obtained as a result of the study will make significant contributions to the literature in understanding the effects of VRS on psychiatric nursing education. At the same time, this study aims to demonstrate that this VRS, designed specifically for the Turkish language and culture, can be an effective tool to increase the self-confidence levels of psychiatric nursing students in their clinical decision-making processes and to reduce their anxiety levels within the scope of the psychiatric nursing course. The results of the study are intended to guide the development of new approaches to the use of technology in psychiatric nursing education and the integration of technology-based VRS into the psychiatric nursing curriculum.
This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the impact of a schizophrenia-focused virtual reality simulation (VRS) on clinical decision-making skills. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the impact of a schizophrenia-focused virtual reality simulation (VRS) on clinical decision-making skills, self-confidence, and anxiety levels of undergraduate psychiatric nursing students. The study will be conducted with second- or third-year nursing students enrolled in a psychiatric nursing course at a university in Türkiye.
Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will participate in VRS, which includes an interactive, gamified simulation scenario based on a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia. This simulation will be conducted twice: once at the beginning of the academic term, prior to clinical placement, and again at mid-term. Each simulation session will be followed by structured debriefing sessions held in small groups (4-5 students), led by a trained facilitator to enhance reflective learning and reinforce clinical reasoning.
The control group will receive standard psychiatric nursing education, consisting of theoretical lectures and routine clinical practice, without exposure to VRS.
Data will be collected using the Clinical Decision-Making Scale, Self-Confidence Scale, Anxiety Scale, Personal Information Form, and the Modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool (SET-M). Measurements will be taken at three time points: (1) before the first VRS session or clinical practice, (2) at mid-term, and (3) at the end of the academic term.
This study is expected to contribute significantly to the understanding of how technology-enhanced, culturally tailored simulation tools affect learning outcomes in psychiatric nursing education. Specifically, it aims to demonstrate that VRS can enhance students' self-confidence in clinical decision-making and reduce their anxiety before and during psychiatric clinical placements. The findings are anticipated to guide the future integration of digital simulation technologies into psychiatric nursing curricula in Türkiye and globally.
Istanbul Arel University is the lead sponsor of 44 studies on the registry; 14 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Virtual reality simulation will be applied to psychiatric nursing course students. The same students will participate in the theoretical and practical training of the psychiatric nursing course
Other: Virtual Reality Simulation
The control group will receive standard psychiatric nursing education consisting of theoretical lectures and routine clinical practice without VRS
Virtual reality simulation of a patient with schizophrenia
Clinical decision-making skills assessed by the Clinical Decision-Making Scale
Clinical decision-making skills of psychiatric nursing students will be measured using the Clinical Decision-Making Scale at baseline, mid-term, and end of academic term.
Time frame: Baseline, mid-term (week 8), and end of academic term (week 16)
Self-confidence assessed by the Self-Confidence Scale
Self-confidence levels of psychiatric nursing students will be measured using the Self-Confidence Scale at baseline, mid-term, and end of academic term
Time frame: Baseline, mid-term (week 8), and end of academic term (week 16)
Plan to share: Yes — Orchid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0077-9264
Supporting information: Study protocol
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Mar 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jun 2026, 3 months after the start.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Istanbul Arel University