Children often experience pain, fear, and anxiety during invasive procedures such as peripheral intravenous catheterization. These negative experiences may reduce cooperation during treatment, cause long-term traumatic memories, and lower trust in health care. Non-pharmacological distraction methods have recently gained importance as safe, effective, and atraumatic strategies to reduce procedural pain in children. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising distraction tool that provides immersive visual and auditory stimuli, isolating the child from the hospital environment and redirecting attention away from the procedure.
This randomized controlled study will investigate the effect of two different VR applications-Aquarium VR video and Kaleidoscope VR video-on children's pain, fear, and physiological responses during peripheral intravenous catheterization. A total of 170 children, aged 7-12 years and scheduled for day surgery in the pediatric surgery unit, will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Aquarium VR intervention, Kaleidoscope VR intervention, or routine care control. The VR interventions will start 2-3 minutes before the procedure and continue throughout catheter insertion.
Primary outcomes will be pain and fear levels, measured using validated pediatric scales including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, and the Children's Fear Scale. Secondary outcomes will include physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and oxygen saturation) recorded before and after the procedure.
The study will provide evidence on whether distraction through VR can reduce pain and fear during intravenous catheterization in children and support atraumatic care principles in pediatric nursing. The findings may guide health professionals in adopting VR technology as a non-pharmacological intervention to improve the quality of care and enhance patient and family satisfaction.
