The Effect of Virtual Reality Based Interactive Therapeutic Dementia Patient Education Program on the Knowledge, Attitude and Empathy Levels of Nursing Undergraduate Students

PLACE OF RESEARCH The research was planned to be conducted at Hacettepe University Faculty of Nursing. As a result of the Research Infrastructure Project (No: TAY-2022-19754) supported by Hacettepe University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit, virtual reality simulation program is included in the infrastructure of the nursing faculty as of 2023. In this program, there are 3 different modular trainings on "Diabetes Mellitus", "Chemotherapy Treatment" and "Dementia" and simulation scenarios based on virtual reality for these subjects. The modular training and virtual reality-based simulation program is already active on the "hadi.hacettepe.edu.tr" website. Students who will benefit from this program can access the program after defining a user name and password. In the content of the module related to the subject of "Dementia" within the scope of this program; dementia definition, risk factors, signs and symptoms, complications, treatment and nursing care and patient and/or caregiver education. exists. After applying the dementia module, students complete the program by switching to a virtual reality-based simulation program for dementia.

THE UNIVERSE OF THE RESEARCH In the 2023-2024 academic year, Hacettepe University Faculty of Nursing will consist of 2nd year students. The main purpose of choosing this student group is that it is a group of students who have successfully completed the Basics of Nursing course in the 2nd year, have basic knowledge and skills in nursing care, but still do not have sufficient equipment in terms of intervening with the patient. While this student group was at the beginning of education and practices, it was thought that by determining the effect of the virtual reality-based interactive therapeutic dementia patient education program, it was thought that the use of this method in the further education processes would make significant contributions to the education of students.

SAMPLE OF THE RESEARCH G*Power- 3.1.9.4 software program was used to calculate the sample size and power of the research. The effect size was calculated as 0.85 based on the average score averages and standard deviations of the intervention and control groups towards dementia taken from a sample study. Accordingly, it was planned to complete the study with a total of 46 students, with 23 students in each group, at 80% power and 5% significance level, taking α=0.05 (Type I error). It is planned to complete the research with 50 students. Group intervention group (25 people) to be applied virtual reality; The group without any intervention (25 people) will be determined as the control group.

PREPARATİON OF DATA COLLECTİON FORM In the research, data will be collected with the following tools. PRE-TESTS include personal information form, Dementia Information Evaluation Scale, Dementia Attitude Scale and Jefferson Empathy Scale for Nursing Students; POST-TESTS include the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale, the Dementia Attitude Scale, and the Jefferson Empathy Scale for Nursing Students.

DATA COLLECTİON Students who meet the criteria for inclusion in the research and agree to participate in the research will be informed, and their questions regarding the operation of the research will be answered if they have any. It will be explained that the information collected in the interview will not be stated in the research and will not be published, and will be kept as a record. By explaining the Informed Voluntary Consent form, it will be ensured that they read the consent form and give their consent voluntarily, and it will be recorded. The data will be collected in forms and scales hand-delivered to the students by the researcher.