Virtual Reality Forest Sounds and Patient Outcomes During Chest Tube Removal

The Effect of Nature Sounds in a Virtual Reality Forest During Chest Tube Removal on Pain, Vital Signs, Comfort, and Patient Satisfaction

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of listening to nature sounds in a virtual reality forest on pain, vital signs, comfort, and patient satisfaction during chest tube removal. This study aims to determine whether there are significant differences in pain, comfort, patient satisfaction, and vital signs between the experimental and control groups during chest tube removal. "In this study, a VR video featuring a relaxing forest environment with nature sounds will be used with a virtual reality headset. Patients will be exposed to both auditory and visual stimuli. It is anticipated that the findings of this randomized controlled experimental study will make a significant contribution to the literature and clinical

Study Type: This research will be conducted using a pretest-posttest, randomized controlled experimental design.

Demographic Information Form This form, developed by the researcher, includes patient age, gender, education level, diagnosis, and information regarding the location of the chest tube placement.

Visual Analog Scale (Pain) Created by Price et al. (1983), this scale ranges from 0, defined as "No pain," to 10, defined as "Unbearable pain." Patients are asked to score their pain between 0 and 10, representing the intensity of the pain they experience .

Patient Satisfaction Scale A satisfaction scale was developed to assess patients' satisfaction with the chest tube removal procedure. Patients will be asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 10.

Vital Signs Monitoring Form This form records the patient's vital signs (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and peripheral oxygen saturation) before and after chest tube removal.

Comfort Scale A 0-10 scale, where one end represents "Most comfortable" and the other end represents "Most uncomfortable." The number marked by the patient indicates their level of comfort.

The researcher will identify patients in the thoracic surgery ward who are scheduled for chest tube removal and meet the sample criteria, in order to collect data for the intervention and control groups. In the ward, 28 Fr chest tubes are generally used, but 32 Fr tubes may also be applied depending on the patient's condition. The decision to remove the chest tubes is made by the responsible physician after reviewing the patient's chest X-ray following the ward visit. Chest tube removal is performed by assistant doctors in the procedure room of the ward. The assignment of participating patients to either the control or intervention group will be determined by randomization.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Able to speak and understand Turkish
• Willing to participate in the study
• Aged 18 years or older
• No auditory or visual impairments

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with impaired orientation to time and place
• Patients with migraine, vertigo, or dizziness
• Illiterate patients