An interventional study of GENE Sensory Restriction Simulation Training and Standard Theoretical Empathy Education in Empathy, sponsored by Volkan Gokmen. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-24.
Sponsored by Volkan Gokmen · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This study evaluates the effect of the Reality-Integrated Quality Education (GENE) approach, an educational intervention using sensory restriction simulations (vision, hearing, speech, and movement restriction), on empathy, communication skills, patience, psychological resilience, and patient-centered care competency among third-year nursing students. Sixty nursing students will be randomly allocated to an experimental group (n=30), who will complete a single 30-45 minute GENE simulation session, or a control group (n=30), who will receive standard theoretical empathy education without the simulation component. Outcomes will be assessed immediately before and after the session using the Turkish versions of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Nursing Student (JSE-NS), a Communication Skills Inventory, a Patience Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, and a Patient-Centered Care Competency Scale. The investigators hypothesize that participation in the GENE sensory restriction simulations will produce greater short-term gains in empathy, communication, patience, resilience, and patient-centered care competency than theoretical education alone.
Empathy, effective communication, and patient-centered care are core competencies for nursing practice, and are traditionally taught through classroom-based theoretical instruction. Sensory restriction simulation is proposed as an experiential teaching strategy in which learners temporarily experience a restriction analogous to a patient's sensory or functional limitation, with the aim of building experiential understanding rather than only conceptual knowledge.
This study uses a quasi-experimental, randomized, pretest-posttest, parallel-group design to evaluate the Reality-Integrated Quality Education (GENE) approach in a single center: the Nursing Department of Agri Ibrahim Cecen University. A pool of 60 third-year nursing students will be randomly allocated to an experimental group (n=30) or a control group (n=30).
The experimental group will complete the GENE model, a four-stage sensory restriction simulation sequence lasting approximately 30-45 minutes in total, comprising sequential simulated restriction of vision, hearing, speech, and movement, each paired with simulated patient-care tasks and structured post-simulation debriefing and feedback (recorded via a post-simulation feedback form). The control group will receive standard theoretical education on empathy and patient-centered care without the simulation component. This is an educational/behavioral intervention rather than a drug, biologic, or device intervention; the study's primary purpose is therefore classified as "Other" (educational intervention effectiveness) rather than treatment, prevention, diagnostic, or supportive care.
Primary and secondary outcomes are assessed once before and once after the session (same day) using the following instruments, all administered in their validated Turkish-language versions: the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Nursing Student (JSE-NS) for empathy; a Communication Skills Inventory; a Patience Scale; the Brief Resilience Scale; and a Patient-Centered Care Competency Scale (HMBY). An application/intake form (Participant Introduction Form) is used to record participant demographic and background characteristics before randomization.
Planned statistical analysis will use Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 29). Normality of distributions will be assessed with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Depending on distributional assumptions, within-group pre-post changes and between-group (experimental vs. control) comparisons will be analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) or, for non-normally distributed data, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U test, with Bonferroni correction applied for multiple comparisons. Effect sizes will be calculated and reported alongside p-values.
Volkan Gokmen is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.
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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:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants complete the GENE model: a single 30-45 minute sequence of four sequential sensory restriction simulations (vision, hearing, speech, and movement restriction), each paired with simulated patient-care tasks, followed by structured debriefing and feedback.
Behavioral: GENE Sensory Restriction Simulation Training
Participants receive standard theoretical education on empathy and patient-centered care, without the GENE sensory restriction simulation component.
Behavioral: Standard Theoretical Empathy Education
A single 30-45 minute educational simulation session consisting of four sequential sensory restriction stages (vision, hearing, speech, and movement restriction), each combined with simulated patient-care tasks, followed by structured debriefing and feedback using a post-simulation feedback form.
Standard classroom-based theoretical education on empathy and patient-centered care, without the GENE sensory restriction simulation component.
Change in Empathy Level (JSE-NS)
Change in empathy from before to immediately after the session, measured with the Turkish version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Nursing Student (JSE-NS). Higher scores indicate greater empathy.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the session) and immediately after the session (same day)
Change in Communication Skills
Change in communication skills from before to immediately after the session, measured with the Turkish version of the Communication Skills Inventory. Higher scores indicate better communication skills.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the session) and immediately after the session (same day)
Change in Patience
Change in patience from before to immediately after the session, measured with the Turkish version of the Patience Scale. Higher scores indicate greater patience.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the session) and immediately after the session (same day)
Change in Psychological Resilience
Change in psychological resilience from before to immediately after the session, measured with the Turkish version of the Brief Resilience Scale. Higher scores indicate greater resilience.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the session) and immediately after the session (same day)
Change in Patient-Centered Care Competency (HMBY)
Change in patient-centered care competency from before to immediately after the session, measured with the Patient-Centered Care Competency Scale (HMBY). Higher scores indicate greater competency.
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the session) and immediately after the session (same day)
Plan to share: No
Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Apr 2027, 6 months later.
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Volkan Gokmen