Virtual reality in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education:A scoping review integrating data mining for topic discovery

Objectives: To map and critically analyze the evolution, scope, and characteristics of virtual reality (VR) applications in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing education. Design: Scoping review, reported following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase were systematically searched up to April 2025, complemented by Google Scholar and reference screening. Review methods: Eligible records were screened independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted across study characteristics, educational contexts, technologies, and outcomes. Narrative synthesis was combined with lexicometric and topic-modeling analyses to identify thematic and temporal trends. Results: A total of 169 studies (2010–2025) were included. Publications increased sharply after 2020, shifting from procedural training toward learner-centered and competence-based education. Immersive VR via head-mounted displays was the most prevalent (70.4%), spanning from cardiopulmonary resuscitation to soft skills. Meta-analysis overlap was low, indicating methodological heterogeneity. Six major themes were identified, reflecting a transition toward holistic, reflective, and experiential learning frameworks. Conclusions: VR in nursing education has matured conceptually but remains fragmented. Standardized outcomes, theory-driven frameworks, and equitable global adoption are needed to maximize its pedagogical potential.