🩺 Ethnoacting in VR for Cognitive Empathy in Nurses
🩺 Ethnoacting in VR for Cognitive Empathy in Nurses
Pilot Study | University of East London | March 2025
❤️ Why Cognitive Empathy?
Developing cognitive empathy is vital for nursing students and practitioners to understand patients’ feelings and provide compassionate care. Traditional role-play methods can be challenging or limiting, so this study explores an innovative VR-based alternative grounded in dramatic techniques.
🎭 The Approach
Based on the Interacting Cognitive Subsystems (ICS) theory from psychology, this intervention:
Uses Ethnoacting to embody patient experiences without needing group performances
Immerses nurses in VR scenarios that foster a deep understanding of patient feelings
Focuses on individual internalisation rather than group role-play dynamics
This method aims to enhance cognitive empathy skills while respecting the practical realities of nursing education.
🧪 The Pilot
Tested in March 2025 with nursing students and apprentices actively working in healthcare, the pilot included:
Immersive VR sessions juxtaposing patient perspectives with nurse attitudes
Survey research and statistical analysis to measure effectiveness
Qualitative feedback highlighting positive experiences and a focus on authentic patient understanding
Results show promising evidence for VR as a powerful tool to cultivate empathy in healthcare education.
📚 Forthcoming Publication
The full findings will be published in:
Stamatiou, E., Cox, G., Thoma, V., Balla, G. & Sanni, O. (forthcoming 2026).
Ethnoacting in VR for Cognitive Empathy in Nurses: An Equivalent to Role-Playing in Healthcare Education.
In Tizzard-Kleister & Firth, T. (Eds.), Using Applied Drama in Nursing and Healthcare Education: A Handbook for Educators. Routledge.
