The effect of virtual reality and non-virtual reality videobased environmental education on nurses' empathy levels and environmental ethicsapproaches

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of virtual reality and non-virtual reality video based environmental education on nurses' empathy levels and environmental ethics approaches. The research was conducted as a randomized controlled three-arm experimental study. The sample of the study consisted of 91 nurses working at a State Hospital in a province in the Eastern Anatolia Region between 01.10.2022 and 30.04.2023, who met the sampling criteria [those who received virtual reality-supported environmental education (experimental group 1) (n=30), those who received virtual reality unsupported environmental education (experimental group 2) (n=30), and those who did not receive environmental education (control group) (n=31)]. Data of the study were collected using "Nurse Introduction Form", "Empathy Level Determination Scale", and "Environmental Ethics Approaches Scale". Nurses in experimental group 1 were shown environmental education videos with virtual reality goggles as the lesson content twice a week for two weeks, prepared by Environment Foundation, Nature and Environment Foundation, Environmental Protection and Packaging Waste Evaluation Foundation, and Turkey Erosion Control, Afforestation and Natural Assets Conservation Foundation, on topics such as environmental protection, recycling, and climate change. Nurses in experimental group 2 were shown these environmental education videos twice a week for two weeks via mobile phone. Each training session lasted approximately 45 minutes. Nurses in the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection forms were applied to all groups of nurses before and after the intervention. KruskalWallis H test was used for comparisons of three or more groups for quantitative data; Mann-Whitney U Test was used for comparisons of two groups. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparisons of pre-test and post-test scale scores. Chi square analysis was used to determine the relationship between qualitative data. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between scale scores. Results were evaluated at a significance level of p< .05 with a 95 % confidence interval. The mean age ix of the nurses participating in the study was 29.52±6.35, and 68.1 % of them were female. There is a positive relationship between the sub dimension of Biocentric Approach of the Environmental Ethics Approaches Scale and the total score and sub-dimensions of the Empathy Level Determination Scale, including cognitive empathy and social skills. There is no statistically significant relationship between the sub-dimensions of Environmental Ethics Approaches Scale, including ecocentric and anthropocentric approaches, and the totalscore and sub-dimensions (cognitive empathy, emotional response, and social skills) of the Empathy Level Determination Scale. The biocentric value of experimental group 1 decreased after virtual reality supported environmental education, while the total score value and cognitive empathy value of the Empathy Level Determination Scale increased. The values of the Environmental Ethics Approaches Scale and Empathy Level Determination Scale of experimental group 2 did not show a statistically significant difference after virtualreality unsupported environmental education. In the control group, the total score value of the Empathy Level Determination Scale and the values of cognitive empathy and social skills increased compared to the pre test, but it was understood that these values did not show statistically significant differences in intergroup comparisons. After environmental education, the biocentric value of experimental group 1 was found to be lower than the biocentric values of experimental group 2 and the control group. It has been observed that providing nurses with virtual reality-supported environmental education reducesthe biocentric value while increasing the empathy value, especially cognitive empathy. Virtual reality-supported environmental education is found to be more advantageous in reducing biocentric values compared to virtual reality unsupported environmental education. Virtual reality-supported environmental education can be used to reduce biocentric approach and increase empathy level in nurses as an environmental education method. Keywords: Nurse, Environmental Education, Environmental Ethics, Environmental Ethics Approaches, Virtual Reality, Empathy