Virtual Patient Cases for Active Student Participation in Nursing Education: Students’ Learning Experiences

Virtual Patient cases (VP cases) promote learning, teaching, and assessment of clinical reasoning and can stimulate and motivate active learning experiences in nursing education. The aim of the study was to investigate the use of VP cases for active student participation in nursing education regarding students’ learning experiences of clinical reasoning. After an intervention using VP cases in the graduate nursing program, 174 evaluation questionnaires were collected from the students. The questionnaire consisted of open-ended questions that covered students’ learning experiences using VP cases. Deductive content analysis was used with a focus on the students’ learning experiences. The results showed that the use of the VP cases provided a comprehensive view of the patient and encouraged the students to broaden their thinking and helped them in drawing conclusions and in structuring their problem-solving. The VP cases also stimulated their learning process and reflection. Their knowledge was challenged, and this motivated them to search for more knowledge that was then followed up in the VP cases. The students found that the VP cases provided support in translating theoretical knowledge into clinical reasoning, and they facilitated the application of theory in practice and encouraged the students to use their clinical reasoning. The VP cases allowed for self-evaluation, which was a motivating force and increased their awareness of their abilities for clinical reasoning. Learning experiences from VP cases seem to be applicable in higher education and seem especially useful in enabling nursing students to apply theory in their clinical practice. Experiential learning theory supports the learning experiences from VP cases in clinical reasoning. In addition, working with VP cases seems to promote active student participation.