Learning procedural skills with a virtual reality simulator: An acceptability study

Background: Virtual Reality (VR) simulation has recently been developed and has improved surgical training. Most VR simulators focus on learning technical skills and few on procedural skills. Studies that evaluated VR simulators focused on feasibility, reliability or easiness of use, but few of them used a specific acceptability measurement tool. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess acceptability and usability of a new VR simulator for procedural skill training among scrub nurses, based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Participants: The simulator training system was tested with a convenience sample of 16 non-expert users and 13 expert scrub nurses from the neurosurgery department of a French University Hospital. Methods: The scenario was designed to train scrub nurses in the preparation of the instrumentation table for a craniotomy in the operating room (OR). Results: Acceptability of the VR simulator was demonstrated with no significant difference between expert scrub nurses and non-experts. There was no effect of age, gender or expertise. Workload, immersion and simulator sickness were also rated equally by all participants. Most participants stressed its pedagogical interest, fun and realism, but some of them also regretted its lack of visual comfort. Conclusion: This VR simulator designed to teach surgical procedures can be widely used as a tool in initial or vocational training.