The Effectiveness of Virtual Patient Simulation Versus Peer Simulation in Providing Sexual Counseling During Pregnancy

NCT ID: NCT06949501

Last Updated: 2025-04-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 51 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-04-28
• Study Completion Date: 2025-06-27

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to compare, in a multidimensional manner, the effectiveness of different educational methods-virtual patient simulation and peer simulation-in improving sexual counseling skills during pregnancy among nursing faculty students.

The study will evaluate three different training methods: virtual patient simulation, peer simulation conducted in a virtual environment, and face-to-face peer simulation. To determine the effectiveness of peer simulation and virtual patient simulation in sexual health counseling, multimodal data collection and analysis methods will be used. These methods will contribute to the development of counseling skills by examining in detail the verbal and non-verbal communication elements exhibited by participants during their interactions with virtual patients and peers. Throughout the research process, students' demographic characteristics, sexual attitudes and beliefs, sexual counseling skills, learning satisfaction and self-confidence levels, opinions on system usability, eye-tracking data, and body movements will be analyzed.

Conditions

Pregnancy; Sexuality

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

virtual patient simulation group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

virtual patient simulation

Intervention Type: OTHER

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to a virtual patient model following theoretical training. In this context, a virtual patient model has been developed with whom the students will engage for the counseling process.

peer simulation conducted in a virtual environment group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

peer simulation conducted in a virtual environment

Intervention Type: OTHER

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to their peers in a virtual environment following theoretical training. In the virtual peer simulation, students will see the same background displayed in the virtual patient simulation; however, instead of interacting with a virtual patient, they will connect with a peer via an online platform to conduct the counseling session.

face-to-face peer simulation group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

face-to-face peer simulation

Intervention Type: OTHER

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to their peers following theoretical training. In the peer simulation, students will conduct their sessions in a communication skills laboratory designed to resemble a clinical consultation room.

Interventions

virtual patient simulation

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to a virtual patient model following theoretical training. In this context, a virtual patient model has been developed with whom the students will engage for the counseling process.

Intervention Type: OTHER

peer simulation conducted in a virtual environment

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to their peers in a virtual environment following theoretical training. In the virtual peer simulation, students will see the same background displayed in the virtual patient simulation; however, instead of interacting with a virtual patient, they will connect with a peer via an online platform to conduct the counseling session.

Intervention Type: OTHER

face-to-face peer simulation

Students in this group are expected to provide sexual counseling to their peers following theoretical training. In the peer simulation, students will conduct their sessions in a communication skills laboratory designed to resemble a clinical consultation room.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Having the ability to provide care for pregnant women - Providing informed consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Having suspended enrollment or taken a leave of absence from education.
• Having received formal education aimed at developing sexual counseling skills.
• Wearing glasses (as it may interfere with the use of wearable eye-tracking systems).

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Delaware

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Ankara University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

NESLİHAN YILMAZ SEZER

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Ankara University Faculty of Nursing

Role: CONTACT

hemsirelik@ankara.edu.tr

+90312 319 2059

Other Identifiers

03.03.2025/05-87

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id