Purpose: Virtual reality simulation can give nursing students a safe clinical experience involving high-risk infants where access to neonatal intensive care units is limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of a virtual reality simulation program on Korean nursing students’ knowledge, performance self-efficacy and learner satisfaction. Methods: A nonequivalent control group design was applied. Senior nursing students were divided into an experimental group (n = 25) experiencing virtual reality simulation and routine neonatal intensive care unit practice and a control group (n = 25) having routine neonatal intensive care unit practice. The program consisted of three scenarios: basic care, feeding management and skin care and environmental management for prevention of neonatal infection. The total execution time for the three scenarios was 40 minutes. The simulation created immersive virtual reality experiences using a head-mounted display with hand-tracking technology. Data were collected from December 9, 2019, to January 17, 2020, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the t-test, paired t-tests, Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Results: Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in high-risk neonatal infection control performance self-efficacy (t = −2.16, p = .018) and learner satisfaction (t = −5.59, p < .001). Conclusion The virtual reality simulation program can expand the nursing students’ practice experience in safe virtual spaces and enhance their performance self-efficacy and learning satisfaction.

Purpose: Virtual reality simulation can give nursing students a safe clinical experience involving high-risk infants where access to neonatal intensive care units is limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of a virtual reality simulation program on Korean nursing students’ knowledge, performance self-efficacy and learner satisfaction. Methods: A nonequivalent control group design was applied. Senior nursing students were divided into an experimental group (n = 25) experiencing virtual reality simulation and routine neonatal intensive care unit practice and a control group (n = 25) having routine neonatal intensive care unit practice. The program consisted of three scenarios: basic care, feeding management and skin care and environmental management for prevention of neonatal infection. The total execution time for the three scenarios was 40 minutes. The simulation created immersive virtual reality experiences using a head-mounted display with hand-tracking technology. Data were collected from December 9, 2019, to January 17, 2020, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the t-test, paired t-tests, Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed-ranks test. Results: Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in high-risk neonatal infection control performance self-efficacy (t = −2.16, p = .018) and learner satisfaction (t = −5.59, p < .001). Conclusion The virtual reality simulation program can expand the nursing students’ practice experience in safe virtual spaces and enhance their performance self-efficacy and learning satisfaction.

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether lumbrokinase has an in vivo thrombolytic effect in a rabbit cerebral embolism model. In our previous studies, we found that lumbrokinase, an extract from Korean earth worms, has a strong in vitro fibrinolytic effect without the presence of plasminogen and significant in vivo thrombolytic effects of lumbrokinase in a rat human-clot-induced cerebral embolism model. We established the cerebral embolism model in rabbits by injecting a piece of human clot into the internal carotid artery via the external carotid artery and confirmed the occlusion with angiography. Twenty one rabbits were divided into three groups and 5cc of saline, urokinase of 50,000 u/ml, and equipotent LK were injected intraarterially for 30 minutes into each group of 7 animals. Ten minutes after the end of infusion, an angiogram was performed to confirm the recanalization. Clot lysis occurred in one, six, and one animals in the saline, urokinase and lumbrokinase treated groups respectively. With regard to its in vitro effect, lumbrokinase is not as potent in vivo. Further investigation should be performed to determine the cause of its weakened in vivo effect and to develop a method to potentiate it.
Animals ; Endopeptidases/*therapeutic use ; Fibrinolytic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis/*drug therapy ; Rabbits ; *Thrombolytic Therapy ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/*therapeutic use