Effects of metaverse-based mock trials for nurses: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Experiential learning is crucial for nurses; however, nurses cannot directly practice handling malpractice cases in a controlled, risk-free environment. Mock trial education provides a valuable opportunity for nurses to engage with past malpractice cases in a simulated setting, and the metaverse offers an interactive and safe learning space. Therefore, exploring the effectiveness of virtual world mock trials as learning strategies is necessary. Objective: To explore the learning experiences of nurses through a comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of metaverse-based and classroom mock trials. Design: A pre-post randomized controlled trial. Participants and setting: Eighty-four nurses working in three general hospitals were randomly assigned to the intervention group (N = 42) and the control group (N = 42). Methods: The program was developed by leveraging real medical malpractice cases to create mobile web education programs and establishing a mock court in the metaverse. Data were collected from July to August 2023. After completing a pre-test, both groups engaged in mobile web educational content for three weeks before participating in a mock trial: the intervention group in the virtual world and the control group in a classroom setting. Results: The control group showed better legal obligation cognition than the experimental group. No significant differences were found in patient safety management, teamwork, or learning presence between the groups. Conclusions: Metaverse-based mock trials hold promise as an alternative to classroom mock trials education, particularly in interactive content areas like patient safety and teamwork. Nursing educators need to introduce nursing learners to the virtual environment so that they can experience the risky clinical environment in advance and engage in interactive education. Nonetheless, classroom education is still a robust educational strategy. Traditional classroom education proved more effective than the metaverse environment in understanding the cognitive domain, like learning knowledge.