Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan W C(1), Au-Yeung E(1), Lam Y Y(1)
Affiliation :
(1) School of Midwifery, Prince of Wales Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Virtual Reality (VR) simulation
Keyword 2: :
Midwifery education
Keyword 3: :
Clinical reasoning
Keyword 4: :
Communication skills
Keyword 5: :
Hospital‑to‑community transition
Introduction :
Simulation‑based learning is vital in midwifery education nowadays, and Virtual Reality (VR) engages students by offering immersive, realistic practice in clinical reasoning and communication. At the School of Midwifery in Prince of Wales Hospital, a three‑phase labour care VR program had been designed to simulate midwifery care across the first, second, and third stages of labour. It was implemented in six classes in 3 consecutive years since 2023. The program was systematically evaluated for its effectiveness, with student midwives’ feedback guiding our curriculum innovation.
Objectives :
- Evaluate student midwives’ experiences across the three phases of implementation. - Identify strengths and challenges of VR as a pedagogical tool.
- Introduce a newly-developed home‑visit VR module to strengthen students’ skills in community settings.
Methodology :
A mixed‑methods design was adopted. Total 235 students from 6 class intakes participated. Quantitative data were gathered through structured questionnaires using a six‑point Likert scale, assessing immersion, interaction, imagination, motivation, and problem‑solving ability. 203 valid responses(86.4%) were collected: 68(33.5%) in Phase 1, 81(39.9%) in Phase 2, 54(26.6%) in Phase 3. Qualitative feedback was obtained through open‑ended comments, and thematic analysis synthesized student perspectives.
Result & Outcome :
Quantitative findings reported consistently high ratings across all 5 domains, with improvement from Phase 1 to Phase 3. In maximum score of 6, “Immersion” increased from 5.15 to 5.23, “Interaction” from 5.24 to 5.30, “Imagination” from 5.09 to 5.32, “Motivation” from 5.25 to 5.42, and “Problem‑solving ability” from 5.12 to 5.34. Students praised the realism, confidence gained, and communication applicable to clinical practice. Phase 3 was particularly valued for its enhanced animation and dialogue, which made the experience more realistic and clinically relevant, while noting some technical issues such as controller handling and requesting longer sessions and varied scenarios. To reinforce continuity of care and bridge gaps between hospital and community practices, a home‑visit VR module is newly developed. It equips students with competence in assessing and communicating concepts of safe home environment to mothers. Overall, the VR program demonstrates strong educational values, and our design focuses on local midwifery practices which enhances students’ engagement, clinical reasoning and preparedness, with potential for expansion into other midwifery topics.
