Virtual Simulation in Post-Pandemic Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Systematic Review on Core Competencies and Autonomous Clinical Decision-Making

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-797-2_22How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Virtual Simulation; Core Competencies; Autonomous Decision-Making; Undergraduate Nursing; Narrative Systematic Review; Post-Pandemic

Abstract

The paradigm of undergraduate nursing education has undergone a digital transformation within the post-pandemic era (2023–2026). This narrative systematic review evaluated and synthesized empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of post-pandemic virtual simulation modalities, specifically immersive virtual reality (IVR) and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven systems, in enhancing core nursing competencies and cultivating autonomous clinical decision-making among undergraduate nursing students. Conducting the search in strict accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement across six major electronic databases, the study isolated peer-reviewed literature published exclusively between January 2023 and April 2026. Out of 145 identified records, 12 empirical studies met the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal thresholds and were selected for final narrative synthesis. The results demonstrated that advanced virtual simulation significantly improves technical psychomotor performance and cognitive knowledge retention, while noticeably reducing pre-clinical anxiety. Furthermore, the utilization of complex adaptive branching software and AI conversational agents forces students to make critical prioritization decisions independently, sharpening diagnostic reasoning and professional self-efficacy through instant consequence-based automated feedback. These findings imply that advanced virtual simulation should be formally integrated into core nursing curricula as credit-bearing components. Ultimately, this review provides a robust empirical foundation for institutional leaders and regulatory bodies to strategically invest in digital simulation infrastructure and modernize accreditation policies to establish a highly competent and autonomous nursing workforce.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Rattanaporn Tanasirijiranont
AU  - Kattiyaporn Konthiang
AU  - Wallapa Songprakun
AU  - Acha Varee
AU  - Ratchaneekorn Santitham
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/14
TI  - Virtual Simulation in Post-Pandemic Undergraduate Nursing Education: A Systematic Review on Core Competencies and Autonomous Clinical Decision-Making
BT  - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Lifespan Innovation (ICLI 2026) national Conference on Lifespan Innovation
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 205
EP  - 215
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-797-2_22
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-797-2_22
ID  - Tanasirijiranont2026
ER  -