Nursing Students’ Acceptance and Experiences of AI-Powered Virtual Reality for Therapeutic Communication Practice: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Background: Therapeutic communication (TC) is a fundamental nursing competency, yet students often struggle to apply TC skills with limited individual feedback in clinical settings. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) simulation offer new avenues to support TC development. However, evidence examining the value of these experiences for students’ TC development remains limited. Methods: This study used a convergent mixed-methods, post-test–only, descriptive design with prelicensure BSN nursing students (n=33). Quantitative data were collected using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM2) to assess nursing students perceived usefulness, ease of use, and behavioral intention to use VR for TC practice. Qualitative data were gathered through open ended student reflections exploring perceived strengths and limitations of the learning experience. Results: Quantitative findings demonstrated highly perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention to use VR-based technologies for TC practice. Qualitative findings converged with these results as students described the VR scenarios as realistic and reflective of real-time clinical communication experiences. Divergence occurred with confidence; however, this reflected student perceived emotional difficulty of the VR experience and self-reflection of skill gaps. Conclusion: AI-augmented VR represents a promising complementary approach for TC training in healthcare education. By providing realistic, emotionally authentic scenarios in a user-friendly environment, VR may address persistent challenges in teaching and learning TC. Keywords: simulation, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, nursing, educational technology