Developing Disability Awareness, Attitude, and Empathy in Nursing Students

Baskent University

Status: Begins enrollment in 2 months

Conditions: Disabled People; Students, Nursing; Simulation Training; Awareness and Knowledge Level; Attitude; Empathy Skills

Treatments: Behavioral: Disability Awareness Education; Behavioral: Virtual Reality Group; Behavioral: Standart Patient Group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07609238

KA26/105

Details and patient eligibility

About

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities frequently face barriers to accessing healthcare services due to physical, social, economic, and policy-related factors. As essential members of the healthcare workforce, nurses play a critical role in addressing these inequities. Previous studies focusing on disability awareness, attitudes, and empathy highlight the need for high-quality research employing mixed-method, simulation-based interventions aimed at enhancing awareness and empathy, fostering positive attitudes, and supporting learning outcomes. However, the existing literature lacks studies that simultaneously compare different simulation methods and comprehensively evaluate awareness, attitudes, and empathy using a multidimensional approach.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of simulation-based interventions-standardized patient encounters and virtual reality training-in improving nursing students' awareness, strengthening positive attitudes, and increasing sensitivity in the delivery of healthcare services to individuals with disabilities. The findings are expected to support the integration and expansion of disability-focused simulation practices in nursing curricula and contribute to the development of evidence-based nursing education programs.

Keywords: nursing students; disability; attitude; simulation; virtual reality

Full description

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation-based interventions designed to improve nursing students' awareness, attitudes, and empathy toward individuals with disabilities. The study will be conducted using a pre-test, mid-test, and post-test design within a double-blind, randomized controlled framework that includes a control group. A total of 60 third- and fourth-year students from the Nursing Department of Başkent University Faculty of Health Sciences will be enrolled. Participants will be assigned to three groups (20 students per group) using stratified block randomization.

Data will be collected using the Student Information Form, the Disability Awareness Scale, the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Persons with Disabilities Scale, and the Multidimensional Empathy Scale.

The intervention will begin with Standard Disability Education delivered online via the Zoom platform to both the experimental and control groups in separate sessions. Subsequently, in accordance with schedules arranged by the researcher and students' course availability, Experimental Group 1 will receive a Standardized Patient Simulation, while Experimental Group 2 will participate in a Virtual Reality Simulation. Statistical analyses appropriate to the study design will be performed, and the level of statistical significance will be set at p = 0.05.

Enrollment: 66 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Must be a 3rd or 4th-year student in the Department of Nursing at Başkent University.
• Must be willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Any kind of disability.
• A visually-related problem

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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66 participants in 3 patient groups

Standard Training Group

Experimental group

Description:

Primary and secondary outcome data will be collected from participants in the control group at three time points. Baseline measurements (pre-test) will be obtained prior to the initiation of the study. Following the five-week standard Disability Awareness Training period, an interim assessment (mid-test) will be conducted to evaluate short-term changes in outcomes. Follow-up assessments (post-test) will be administered six weeks after the interim assessment to assess the longer-term effects of the training on participants' awareness, attitudes, and empathy toward individuals with disabilities.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Disability Awareness Education

Standard Patient Group

Experimental group

Description:

Outcome data for participants assigned to Intervention Group 1 will be collected at three predefined time points. Baseline assessments (pre-test) will be completed prior to the intervention. During the same academic week, participants will receive the Standardized Patient Intervention in conjunction with the Disability Awareness Training, with scheduling coordinated according to the course module and participants' availability. Immediately following the completion of the Standardized Patient procedure and the subsequent debriefing session, an interim assessment (mid-test) will be administered to evaluate short-term effects of the intervention. Follow-up assessments (post-test) will be conducted six weeks after the interim assessment to assess the longer-term impact on participants' awareness, attitudes, and empathy toward individuals with disabilities.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standart Patient Group

Behavioral: Disability Awareness Education

Virtual Reality Group

Experimental group

Description:

Outcome data for participants assigned to Intervention Group 2 will be collected at three predefined time points. Baseline assessments (pre-test) will be completed prior to the intervention. During the same academic week, participants will receive the Virtual Reality Intervention in conjunction with the Disability Awareness Training, with scheduling coordinated according to the course module and participants' availability. Immediately after completion of the Virtual Reality procedure and the subsequent debriefing session, an interim assessment (mid-test) will be administered to evaluate short-term intervention effects. Follow-up assessments (post-test) will be conducted six weeks after the interim assessment to assess the longer-term impact of the intervention on participants' awareness, attitudes, and empathy toward individuals with disabilities.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Virtual Reality Group

Behavioral: Disability Awareness Education