The Effect of Augmented Reality Based Training on Preeclampsia Case on Nursing Students' Diagnosis and Intervention Planning Skills

Although pregnancy is a physiological process in women's lives, many women lose their lives due to the lack of timely and appropriate treatment of the complications it brings with it. According to the World Health Organization 2024 report, approximately 800 women die every day due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Preeclampsia, which is among the hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, is a complication of pregnancy and ranks among the top three causes of maternal mortality worldwide. Preeclampsia is defined as hypertension that develops after the 20th week of pregnancy and is accompanied by proteinuria/thrombocytopenia, renal failure, liver dysfunction, and cerebral/visual symptoms.

Considering the risks of preeclampsia complications, taking precautions before the onset of complications and treating complications with appropriate methods are extremely important in reducing the mortality rates of both pregnant and fetus. In order to maintain safe patient care and the health of individuals, nurses should know what kind of nursing care should be applied in the antenatal period to diagnose, evaluate and prevent complications of preeclampsia. In the literature, it is recommended that nursing care for preeclampsia patients should include the diagnoses of infection risk, disruption in sleep pattern, acute pain, constipation, impaired physical movement, lack of self-care, and fatigue. Nursing care should include individualized, holistic, systematic, high quality, feasible, applicable, sustainable care methods including technological methods, models and theories for all pregnant women with more than 2 of the risks of preeclampsia by ACOG.

Technological methods, which have been frequently used in the health system in recent years, are used because they are cheap, usable, accelerate the decision-making process, and reduce workload. Virtual reality (VR) applications are technological applications that create a reality environment with the help of scenarios and facilitate learning complex cases and diseases by increasing students' knowledge and skills. In addition, this method allows students to develop critical thinking skills, participate in clinical decision-making processes and receive feedback. In the literature, VR application has been used in triage patients and nursing care of pediatric patients. However, no study has been found in the care of preeclampsia, which is highly effective on maternal and fetal health. Therefore, this study was planned to determine the effect of augmented reality-based training on the diagnosis and intervention planning skills of nursing students.