Enhancing stress management training and communication skills of nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic based on augmented reality

Managing stress and proper communication with clients is a key element in patient-care. Study stress is very common among nursing students during Covid-19 crisis and has weakened traineeschr('39') relationship with patients. The aim of this study was to develop stress management training and communication skills of nursing students during Covid-19 crisis based on augmented reality.

In this quasi-experimental study, 46 nursing students undergoing internship at Farabi Hospital in Bastak in 2020 were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participants received augmented reality-based education, and in the control group, education was conducted in the traditional way. The effectiveness of the training was assessed with a researcher-made questionnaire and the data were analyzed using SPSS software and independent t-test.

Augmented reality training was more effective than traditional training and independent t-test showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups (P-Value=0.001). The mean scores of communication skills factors and stress management factors increased in the post-test compared to the pre-test. The mean scores of behavioral stress management, positive thinking, time management and relaxation techniques also increased in the post test.

Training of stress management and communication skills to nursing students based on augmented reality can improve learning and increase the effectiveness of training in a stressful hospital environment, especially during COVID-19 conditions.