School of Nursing and Midwifery Scholarly Impact Report 2021

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CATHERINE MCAULEY SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY, UCC

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE / PRESENTATION

Dr Mohamad Saab presents during Sigma’s 32nd Virtual International Nursing Research Congress and RCSI’s 40th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference This year’s Sigma’s 32nd Virtual International Nursing Research Congress and RCSI’s 40th Annual International Nursing and Midwifery Conference took place online. Both conferences were attended by thousands of researchers, academics, and clinicians from around the globe. Dr Saab presented (oral) his HSE National Cancer Control Programme-funded work titled “Promoting ‘SWIFT’ lung cancer detection: Focus groups with high-risk individuals” (Team: Drs Caroline Kilty, Brendan Noonan, Serena FitzGerald, and Professor Josephine Hegarty). Mohamad also presented (poster) a Sigma-funded study titled “Virtual Reality in Nursing Education: Qualitative Perspectives from Nursing Students” (Team: Dr Margaret Landers, Mr David Murphy, and Professor Josephine Hegarty) and won a poster prize. Lead: Dr Mohamad Saab Team members: Dr Caroline Kilty, Dr Brendan Noonan, Dr Serena FitzGerald, Dr Margaret Landers, Mr David Murphy, and Professor Josephine Hegarty

skills and learn about human anatomy, physiology, problem-solving, and clinical decision-making. Participants identified the resources incurred by the technology as challenges to implementing virtual reality in nurse education and stressed the need for continuous face- to-face feedback. Findings from this study suggest that virtual reality technology has the potential to facilitate learning, complement current educational approaches, and provide nurse educators with novel and engaging means of content delivery. This study serves as a first step to piloting and implementing virtual reality in our school.

Dr Saab presented (oral) findings from this study during the International Council of Nurses Congress 2021.

Lead: Dr Mohamad Saab Team members: Dr Margaret Landers, Mr David Murphy, Professor Josephine Hegarty

Highlights

Dr Mohamad Saab presents on virtual reality and nursing education during the International Council of Nurses Congress 2021 In 2020, Dr Saab and colleagues conducted a Sigma-funded study to explore nursing students’ perspectives on the use of immersive virtual reality technology in nursing education. Students believed that virtual reality affords a novel, fun, memorable, inclusive, and engaging means of learning. Many believed that virtual reality would complement current teaching and learning approaches, help build learners’ confidence, and provide nursing students with a safe space for trial, error, and problem-solving. • Mohamad’s poster presentation focused on the use of virtual reality in nursing education • Mohamad’s oral presentation addressed ways to enhance lung cancer awareness among high-risk populations

Highlights • Virtual reality is a novel, fun, memorable, inclusive, and engaging means of learning. Virtual reality can be used to practise various nursing skills and learn about human anatomy, physiology, problem-solving, and clinical decision- making.

The use of virtual realitywas recommended topractise various nursing