Purpose: Virtual reality simulation can give nursing students a safe clinical experience involving highrisk
infants where access to neonatal intensive care units is limited. This study aimed to examine the
effects of a virtual reality simulation program on Korean nursing students’ knowledge, performance selfefficacy
and learner satisfaction.
Methods: A nonequivalent control group design was applied. Senior nursing students were divided into
an experimental group (n = 25) experiencing virtual reality simulation and routine neonatal intensive
care unit practice and a control group (n = 25) having routine neonatal intensive care unit practice. The
program consisted of three scenarios: basic care, feeding management and skin care and environmental
management for prevention of neonatal infection. The total execution time for the three scenarios was
40 minutes. The simulation created immersive virtual reality experiences using a head-mounted display
with hand-tracking technology. Data were collected from December 9, 2019, to January 17, 2020, and
were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the t-test, paired t-tests, Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon
signed-ranks test.
Results: Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements
in high-risk neonatal infection control performance self-efficacy (t = -2.16, p = .018) and
learner satisfaction (t = -5.59, p < .001).
Conclusion: The virtual reality simulation program can expand the nursing students’ practice experience
in safe virtual spaces and enhance their performance self-efficacy and learning satisfaction.