THE POTENTIAL OF VIRTUAL REALITY AS A LEARNING TOOL IN THE TRAINING OF NEW NURSES: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: To analyze scientific evidence regarding the use of virtual reality as a learning tool in nursing education. Method: This is an integrative literature review conducted in six stages: identification of the research question, definition of inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, evaluation of studies, data analysis, and synthesis. Searches were performed in SciELO, PubMed, Virtual Health Library, and Google Scholar. Studies published between 2012 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish were included. Results: A total of 28 studies were selected, demonstrating that virtual reality improves technical performance, knowledge retention, clinical reasoning, and patient safety. The technology was more effective when used alongside traditional teaching methods. Conclusion: Virtual reality is an innovative and effective tool in nursing education, contributing to the training of more qualified professionals. However, its implementation requires adequate infrastructure and faculty training.