Tell us what you really think: undergraduate nursing students validation of the Questionnaire Virtual Patient - a qualitative think-aloud study.

BACKGROUND

The availability of digital technologies such as virtual patient simulation has nurtured innovation in higher healthcare education. However, the quality of validated questionnaires related to virtual patient simulation in higher healthcare education remains limited. In particular, there is a need for validated questionnaires for virtual patient simulations focusing on intimate partner violence. Thus, the aim was to cognitively validate questions in the Questionnaire Virtual Patient (QVP) among undergraduate nursing students.

METHOD: A think-aloud design was employed. Eleven undergraduate nursing students from a single school of nursing in western Sweden participated in an individual digital cognitive interview. Collected data were analyzed using a qualitative conventional analysis. The QVP consists of eleven background questions and additional eighteen questions, structured into two themes: (1) User friendliness virtual patient and (2) Virtual patient as an integrated part of educational module.

RESULT: The QVP was perceived as clear, well-constructed, and easy to understand. At the same time, some areas for refinement were emphasized. Thus, original questions and revised versions of the questions in QVP are presented in the alignment with the structure of the QVP.

CONCLUSION

The cognitive validation of the QVP highlights the need for methodological rigor and thoughtful planning in survey design. Ongoing refinement of questionnaires can contribute to the development of evidence-based learning didactics in an increasingly digital healthcare educational context.