Audiovisual Perception of Nursing Students in an ICU Virtual Environment

Medical devices for patient monitoring are simultaneous sound sources in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and only few persons are allowed to be in this sterile area. These critical care activities with the restrictions in overall distinguish the acoustical condition of an ICU from other healthcare units. For visitors and patients, the sounds in an ICU are often intimidating. However, medical staffs are highly trained and therefore, able to adapt with the uncomfortable environment. In Indonesia, undergraduate nursing students commonly experience the ICU clinical settings through a field trip. Meanwhile, students training for nursing licence will have a clinical rotation in an ICU for approximately 2 weeks. Currently, with the pandemic Covid-19 situation, all these direct visits are no longer feasible. A low-cost learning tool based on VR using a 360o video of an operating ICU as the virtual environment was developed as a solution. Thirteen nursing students experienced the VR setting utilizing a VR glass and smartphone with headphones. Their audiovisual perceptions were recorded using a list of questions and the results were compared to the responses of eight ICU nurses. Both sample groups agreed that this learning tool can provide the experience being inside an ICU. Keywords: VR, ICU, virtual environment, audiovisual perception, nursing students