Empathy SkillsPPP-VRNCT07573384
The Effect of Preoperative Patient Preparation Video Shown Through Virtual Reality Goggles on Empathy Levels in Nursing Students
A study testing VR Video in people with Empathy Skills, run by Acibadem University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study was planned to evaluate the effect of a preoperative patient preparation video, shown to nursing students via virtual reality glasses, on the development of empathy skills towards the perioperative process. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Empathy Skills
- What is being tested?
- VR Video
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 130 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 25 Feb 2026to 15 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Being enrolled in and attending the Surgical Nursing course at the institution where the research is being conducted, and taking the course for the first time
Who cannot join
- Having worked or currently working in an operating room.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
This study was planned to evaluate the effect of a preoperative patient preparation video, shown to nursing students via virtual reality glasses, on the development of empathy skills towards the perioperative process.
Read the detailed description
In recent years, virtual reality (VR)-based simulations used to support nursing students in understanding empathy and patient experience have been shown to enhance students' empathy and patient perspective skills. However, evidence regarding the impact of experiencing the preoperative patient preparation process with VR on nursing students' empathy and patient safety-focused perspectives towards the perioperative process is limited. Therefore, examining the effect of VR-based preoperative patient preparation experience on empathy levels in nursing students emerges as a scientific and educational necessity for improving perioperative nursing education and supporting patient-centered and safe care.
The study will be conducted with second-year nursing undergraduate students who will be taking the Surgical Nursing course.
The change in empathy scores at the end of the semester will be compared between students who participated in the VR-based preoperative preparation simulation application and those who did not.
Students will be randomly assigned to groups.
- Conditions
- Empathy Skills
- Being tested
- VR Video
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
VR VideoOther
The nursing students in the experimental group 360° pre-operative patient preparation video via VR glasses. The visual content used in the study was recorded with an Insta360 X4 brand 360° action camera. The video includes processes such as identity verification, preoperative evaluation, anesthesia preparation, transfer to the operating room, time-out procedure, etc. The video is 9.5 minutes long.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Realty Video Group | Experimental | The students will be taken to an area prepared as a patient room in the simulation laboratory. They will be placed on a bed, playing the role of a patient. They will be shown a 360° pre-operative patient preparation video via VR glasses. The visual content used in the study was recorded with an Insta360 X4 brand 360° action camera.
The video includes processes such as identity verification, preoperative evaluation, anesthesia preparation, transfer to the operating room, time-out procedure, etc. The video is approximately 9.5 minutes long.
In addition to the VR experience, students in the intervention group will participate in theoretical lectures on the perioperative process, using lecture and question-and-answer methods as outlined in the surgical nursing course curriculum. Receives: Other: VR Video |
| Control group | No intervention | Students in the control group will not be included in the VR experience. They will attend only theoretical lectures using lecture and question-and-answer methods on the perioperative process, as outlined in the curriculum. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Empathy score
Empathy scores will be measured by the Jefferson Empathy Scale - Health Professions Students Form (JSE-HPS): developed to assess the empathic tendencies of health professions students in a clinical context, and will be used as the primary empathy measurement tool in this study. The scale was developed by Hojat et al. to measure the empathic attitudes of health professionals towards patient care and was later adapted for health professions students. The JSE-HPS is a self-report scale consisting of 7-point Likert-type items that reflect both cognitive and affective components of empathy in a clinical relationship context.
20 items 7-point Likert score range: 20-140 higher score = higher empathy
Measured: Time Frame: Baseline; immediately post-intervention; 12th weeks
Secondary outcomes (1)
Cognitive and affective empathy measured by the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale (CAES)
Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale (CAES): Developed by Reniers et al. in 2011, this scale assesses empathy under two main components: cognitive empathy and affective empathy. QCAE's robust psychometric structure provides a significant advantage for research seeking to examine empathy in detail across its sub-dimensions.
31 items subscales: cognitive \& affective empathy higher score = higher empathy
Measured: Time Frame: Baseline; immediately post-intervention; 12th weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 May 2026
- Study start25 Feb 2026
- Primary completion5 May 2026
- Study completion15 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Empathy SkillsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Acibadem UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Acibadem University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nuran Ayşen Pamir Aksoy, Acibadem University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07573384
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ATADEK 2025-20/752
- Acronym
- PPP-VR
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Preoperative Patient Preparation Video Shown Through Virtual Reality Goggles on Empathy Levels in Nursing Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07573384
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PPP-VR / ATADEK 2025-20/752
- Conditions
- Empathy Skills
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 130 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Acibadem UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 25 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 May 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 7 May 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study was planned to evaluate the effect of a preoperative patient preparation video, shown to nursing students via virtual reality glasses, on the development of empathy skills towards the perioperative process.
Detailed description
In recent years, virtual reality (VR)-based simulations used to support nursing students in understanding empathy and patient experience have been shown to enhance students' empathy and patient perspective skills. However, evidence regarding the impact of experiencing the preoperative patient preparation process with VR on nursing students' empathy and patient safety-focused perspectives towards the perioperative process is limited. Therefore, examining the effect of VR-based preoperative patient preparation experience on empathy levels in nursing students emerges as a scientific and educational necessity for improving perioperative nursing education and supporting patient-centered and safe care.
The study will be conducted with second-year nursing undergraduate students who will be taking the Surgical Nursing course.
The change in empathy scores at the end of the semester will be compared between students who participated in the VR-based preoperative preparation simulation application and those who did not.
Students will be randomly assigned to groups.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Realty Video Group | Experimental | Other: VR VideoThe students will be taken to an area prepared as a patient room in the simulation laboratory. They will be placed on a bed, playing the role of a patient. They will be shown a 360° pre-operative patient preparation video via VR glasses. The visual content used in the study was recorded with an Insta360 X4 brand 360° action camera. The video includes processes such as identity verification, preoperative evaluation, anesthesia preparation, transfer to the operating room, time-out procedure, etc. The video is approximately 9.5 minutes long. In addition to the VR experience, students in the intervention group will participate in theoretical lectures on the perioperative process, using lecture and question-and-answer methods as outlined in the surgical nursing course curriculum. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Students in the control group will not be included in the VR experience. They will attend only theoretical lectures using lecture and question-and-answer methods on the perioperative process, as outlined in the curriculum. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Being enrolled in and attending the Surgical Nursing course at the institution where the research is being conducted, and taking the course for the first time
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Having worked or currently working in an operating room.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| VR VideoThe nursing students in the experimental group 360° pre-operative patient preparation video via VR glasses. The visual content used in the study was recorded with an Insta360 X4 brand 360° action camera. The video includes processes such as identity verification, preoperative evaluation, anesthesia preparation, transfer to the operating room, time-out procedure, etc. The video is 9.5 minutes long. | Other | Virtual Realty Video Group |
Primary outcome
Empathy score
Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline; immediately post-intervention; 12th weeks
Empathy scores will be measured by the Jefferson Empathy Scale - Health Professions Students Form (JSE-HPS): developed to assess the empathic tendencies of health professions students in a clinical context, and will be used as the primary empathy measurement tool in this study. The scale was developed by Hojat et al. to measure the empathic attitudes of health professionals towards patient care and was later adapted for health professions students. The JSE-HPS is a self-report scale consisting of 7-point Likert-type items that reflect both cognitive and affective components of empathy in a clinical relationship context. 20 items 7-point Likert score range: 20-140 higher score = higher empathy
1 secondary outcome
Cognitive and affective empathy measured by the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale (CAES)
Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline; immediately post-intervention; 12th weeks
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Intervention Condition, Control Condition
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing VR Video in people with Empathy Skills, run by Acibadem University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Empathy score (time frame: Time Frame: Baseline; immediately post-intervention; 12th weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Jul 2026.